Denmark–Serbia relations

Danish-Serbian relations
Map indicating locations of Denmark and Serbia

Denmark
Serbia

Denmark–Serbia relations are foreign relations between Denmark and Serbia. Denmark has an embassy in Belgrade, and Serbia has an embassy in Copenhagen .[1] In November 2010, speaker for the Danish parliament Thor Pedersen said that Denmark fully supported Serbia's efforts to join the EU, and that he was satisfied with Serbia's progress to that end.[2][3] Both countries are members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. In March 2016 Head of Embassy of Denmark in Serbia, Morten Skovgaard Hansen, said that ”Denmark very openly supports the progress and reforms made by Serbia.[4]”

Trade and agreements

In 2004, trade turnover between Denmark and Serbia amounted $37 million.

Carlsberg Srbija is a beer brewery in Serbia, owned by Danish Carlsberg Group since 2003. It is known by its signature brand Lav pivo.[5][6]

On February 11, 2012, Denmark & Serbia signed a 9-million-euro agreement for the production of fruit. Also, according to a Danish ambassador, Serbia is already an important producer of berries.[7]

A rising number of Danish companies such as Grundfos and Ergomade have set up production facilities in Serbia to take advantage of the cheap salaries and shutting down the more expensive Danish domestic production. The Danish Embassy actively supports this outsourcing on the terms "that it is good for job creation in Serbia".[8]

Cooperation

Danish cooperation assists Serbia with biomass, biogas, wind energy and agro industry.[9] Serbia is Denmark's biggest military cooperation partner.[10]

The Embassy of Denmark, which since October 2015 has been directed by Head of Mission, Morten Skovgaard Hansen, also facilitated the visit of Serbian journalists to Denmark using public funds. Serbia ranks as having a "partly free" press.[11]

Serbs in Denmark

Many Serbs are currently living in Denmark. Of the more famous ones can be mentioned Andrija Pavlovic and Aleksandar Jovanovic, both footballers at FC Copenhagen and Aarhus GF. Others cover the actors Dejan Curcic and Danica Curcic.

As the financial situation is worsening for regular citizens in Serbia,[12] more and more Serbs are leaving their homeland in search of better possibilities, including in Denmark. Despite these declining terms of living, the head of the Danish mission in Serbia, Morten Skovgaard Hansen, concluded, in a Newsweek interview in March 2016, that "[t]he opening of the first chapters in December was an important step and a clear sign that Serbia is on the right track.[13]"

When Danish police in September 2016 encountered the body parts of a deceased gang-member, a Serbian national was charged with murder.[14] He still awaits his trial. Other Serbs under Danish police custody count Miodrag Jokic, Ranko Cesic and Radoslav Brdjanin, all of whom are serving sentences for war crimes committed during the breakup of Yugoslavia.[15]

Radovan Karadzic, Republika Srpska leader, who is now serving a 40-year sentence issued by the ICTY in Hague, studied psychiatry in Denmark in 1970.[16]

Resident diplomatic missions

  • Embassy of Serbia in Copenhagen
    Embassy of Serbia in Copenhagen

See also

References

  1. ^ "Danmarks ambassade Beograd". Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
  2. ^ "Danish parliamentary delegation in Belgrade". B92.net. Archived from the original on 2010-11-06. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  3. ^ "Glassrbije.org". Glassrbije.org. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Interview with Morten Skovgaard Hansen the Head of Mission". Serbien.um.dk. Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Karlsberg investira u proizvodnju". B92.net. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  6. ^ "Kompanija Karlsberg Srbija povećala prodaju piva". www.poslovnimagazin.biz. Archived from the original on 7 March 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Serbia,Denmark sign agreement worth EUR 9 million :: EMG :: Business news from Serbia 2010". Archived from the original on 2012-02-13. Retrieved 2012-02-11.
  8. ^ "International Business Sector in Serbia 2016". Issuu.com. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Cooperation between Serbia and Denmark on climate and energy" (PDF). Trade Council of Denmark. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  10. ^ "Denmark and Serbia cooperates to build search and rescue capability. One more example of the close and concrete defense cooperation between Denmark and Serbia". Danish embassy in Belgrade. Archived from the original on 2011-09-03. Retrieved 27 January 2011. Serbia is the biggest Danish bilateral military cooperation partner. Our military cooperation covers many fields and has over the last five years been to the magnitude of in average 1 mill Euro pr. year.
  11. ^ "Freedom of the Press 2015". Freedomhouse.org. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Serbia - Data". Data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  13. ^ Serbia, Denmark in. "Interview with Morten Skovgaard Hansen the Head of Mission". Denmark in Serbia. Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  14. ^ "Liget af en 25-årig rocker er fundet i Albertslund". Jv.dk. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  15. ^ "Tre krigsforbrydere i dansk fængsel". Bt.dk. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  16. ^ "Krigsforbryder blev oplært i Næstved". Avisen.dk. Retrieved 15 December 2017.