Serbia constantly shoots arrows at Bulgaria as a bouquet of "special" treatment, receiving a soft policy in return.
It is difficult to be Bulgarian in Serbia, people are afraid to call themselves Bulgarian. Russian hysteria and uncontrollable nationalism of the "Serbian World" must be curbed.
This was stated in an interview by the correspondent of the BGNES agency in Belgrade, Eli Yurukova.
"Bulgarian policy towards Serbia is soft and in waves. When there is an official visit, we suddenly realize that the Bulgarian minority should be a bridge for cooperation with catchphrases and nothing more. On the other hand, Serbia is constantly shooting arrows at Bulgaria. When you say "Bulgarian" in Serbia, it means: "Bulgarians are frauds", "Bulgarians invented the so-called "Bulgarian train" - election fraud, "Bulgarians committed great crimes against Serbs during the war". You have to live there, like me, to feel it", shared Yurukova.
"This is a bouquet of "special" attitude towards Bulgaria. Something that I have not noticed with other neighbours of Serbia. A few years ago, Ivica Dacic, then Minister of Police, said: "Boyko Borisov forgot that he received an order from Serbia." This order is not given as a politician, the man, the friend of Serbia, but it is given to lobby for Serbia. This statement was terribly offensive," she added.
Eli Yurukova emphasized that the Bulgarian policy towards our Western neighbour is "very strange".
"I have the feeling that we do not have a developed doctrine, we are somehow very soft. Serbia's attitude towards its neighbours has not improved. Perhaps only to some extent towards Hungary and Orban, whom Vučić calls his "best friend". We must be aware that Serbia's road to Europe passes through Bulgaria. That's why I liked the speech of the Bulgarian president, who said that Bulgaria can rethink its attitude towards Serbia on the occasion of its accession to the EU. This is quite normal. It depends on what the Serbian attitude towards minorities is, they say everything is fine. All is not well in the Western Outskirts. A lot of work still needs to be done. The embassy (in Belgrade) and the state must also work," she said.
Yurukova noted that
Sofia does not have such lobbyists as the Serbs have. This is where the Bulgarian mistake lies.
"There is a huge information blackout regarding the events in Serbia. I often read that the official news agency is quoted and that's it. Sometimes Russian sources are also cited, as if we have no option for anything else. In this sense, BGNES is an absolute exception. It is very strange to me how it is possible that I am the only person in Serbia and at press conferences I feel very uncomfortable. Colleagues often ask me and say: "Oh, so you're the one who wrote something bad about Serbia." They just know that I am the person", shared Yurukova.
"Not to mention the attitude of the Serbian authorities towards the media. He is the same way to me. I only hope that it will not come to extreme situations and that I will not come to be the "inconvenient" journalist in Serbia. I experienced it once during the war and was two or three years without accreditation. The only thing that saved me was that I worked for Free Europe. When you have a big country behind you, then things go maybe easier and they won't just kill you," she added.
The relations between Serbia and Bulgaria are rather ceremonial, but they do not bring anything new between the Bulgarians and the Serbs.
"I am often asked if the Serbs love the Bulgarians if the Bulgarians love the Serbs. People love each other, but they are ... (I am talking about Belgrade, where I have lived for many years), poisoned by propaganda, politics and nationalism, by a fear of saying that they are Bulgarians. I'm afraid this is going to get worse and worse. In the local elections that ended last week, Vucic's party won 90% of the votes of Bulgarians living in Serbia. Even though Bosilegrad is named as the leader, Vucic is proud of Bosilegrad. I am naturally not proud of the opinion of the Bulgarian minority, but we must also understand them because they do not receive much help from Bulgaria. They work there, and live in constant fear. They would lose their jobs if they didn't side with Vucic. It is very easy to be Bulgarian in Bulgaria and very, very difficult to be Bulgarian in Serbia", stressed Eli Yurukova.
When asked whether Bulgaria and the European Union are aware that a completely anti-European project is developing in the heart of the Balkans, which operates not only in Serbia but also in North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, Yurukova answered:
"Everyone knows, observes, comments, I'm talking about European and Balkan politicians. They comment on Vucic's moves, but so what? What has changed in his policy? He does not introduce sanctions against Russia, he behaves like a leader in the Balkans, and he has these ambitions. He doesn't listen to anyone. The most interesting thing is that he does not listen to the voice of his people, the ordinary Serb. He does not feel the pulse of the nation that wants to live normally, and freely and enter the European Union to become one European country. Currently, Serbia is not a European country, regardless of what Vucic says. He demonstrated in some absolutely wonderful way his desire to join the EU. It's just that no one believes him."
"Bulgaria as a neighbour of Serbia, the so-called Western Balkans, Europe, Brussels and Washington must increase the pressure on Serbia to curb this uncontrollable nationalism. Vucic says: "I want all Serbs to live in one country." All Serbs will live in one country if they enter the European Union if the borders are open. Imagine the Bulgarian president saying that he wants all Bulgarians to live in one country. This is an absurd thesis," she added.
Yurukova pointed out the dangers being prepared by the trio of the "Serbian World" geopolitical project - Aleksandar Vucic, the Deputy Prime Minister and former head of the Serbian Security and Information Agency /BIA/ Aleksandar Vulin, and Milorad Dodik - President of the Republika Srpska.
"Vucic wants to go down in history as the new leader of Serbia and as 'the Serbian man', 'the great Serbian', 'Commander Alexander', as the song goes, which is constantly played on Serbian television with national coverage. Vulin is very dangerous because the idea of the "Serbian World" is actually his. He pushed her through and Vucic stood behind her. During his visit to Moscow, Vulin visited Stalin's grave as a great fighter against anti-fascism. My colleagues in Belgrade commented on whether this is a signal that anyone who does not think like Vucic, Vulin and Dodik can suffer Stalin's repressions. The Russian hysteria in Serbia should already cause great concern in Bulgaria, the Western Balkans, and the European Union," said Yurukova.
The figure of Vladimir Orlich is also important. He has been the new head of the BIA for a few days now.
"Orlich does not hide that he adores Vucic. This must be seen and felt. An incredible homage to the face and work of Aleksandar Vucic. During his time as Speaker of the Parliament, Orlić became famous for incredible scandals, he never moved without a guard, never gave the floor to the opposition or interrupted the opposition leaders with incredible expressions that it is not even convenient to mention. He is famous for not making remarks to a Vucic lawmaker who was watching pornographic films on his phone when Kosovo was discussed. But that doesn't impress him. It makes an impression on him when a representative of the weak, destroyed Serbian opposition appeared, who still tried to say something", explained Eli Yurukova.
The implementation of the so-called journalist described the All-Serbian assembly in Belgrade a few days ago as a political game. Yurukova sees no danger of repeating the crimes of the 1990s regime of the Yugoslav dictator Slobodan Milosevic, because "Vucic, no matter how much he is portrayed as a hero, conforms in one way or another to the American ambassador, not only to the Russian one".
However, it is feared that Dodik may get out of control, and behind him is Vucic, who is watching this whole game.
"Secession of the Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is an independent state established by the Dayton Agreement and the end of the brutal war in the south, would mean danger for the entire region. A restoration of this hysterical nationalism that is transferred from one side of the borders to the other. Dodik is an uncontrollable process, the only person who could influence him is Vucic. In any case, these ideas are not accidental. Russia plays a very special role and supports the secession of the RS. Serbia is the only country where Russians can come without visas. Belgrade is full of Russian citizens. Russians who support Putin are welcome. Those who are against Putin are declared persona non grata, go to the airport and can never enter Serbia again as a kind of revenge," Elli Yurukova pointed out. | BGNES
