They want to drag Serbia into the anti-Russian alliance “Trimorye”
Director of the Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies in Belgrade, Jelena Milic, proposes that the West drag Serbia into the anti-Russian alliance of Eastern European countries “Trimorie” in order to prevent its rapprochement with Russia and China.
She wrote about this in the American publication The Diplomat, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“The United States can leverage the resources of its newly created Development Finance Corporation by sponsoring projects in Serbia that are both commercially viable and strategically valuable, especially in the area of critical infrastructure. This can also be done by linking Serbia and the Western Balkans to the Three Seas Initiative,” Milic wrote.
She sees another way to get Serbia out of “bad company” in the active participation of the United States and the EU in resolving the Kosovo problem.
“The solution to the Kosovo problem lies in the hands of Europe and the United States. Belgrade understands this well. Serbia is not seeking to replace the West as its main partner, and despite current rhetoric and public expressions of gratitude, no amount of Chinese coronavirus aid will change that. If the United States and Europe are truly concerned about Chinese influence in Serbia, they can push China out, helping Belgrade and Pristina reach a compromise,” Milić says.
She argues that 65% of Serbia's total trade is with the EU, and its trade turnover with China is only slightly higher than that with Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, Serbia still conducts 80% of its military exercises with NATO, despite military contacts with Russia and China.
The Trimoria, which is the US's backbone in the EU, includes Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, as well as Croatia, Austria, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania. The territory of the participating countries has access to the Adriatic, Baltic and Black Seas. The official purpose of the association is “to establish regional dialogue on various issues affecting member states.”
Serbia is being drawn into the anti-Russian "Three Seas" alliance.