Kiren Rijiju meets Serbian President Vucic, reaffirms strong India-Serbia ties

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju's visit to Belgrade in July 2024 marks a significant milestone in India-Serbia relations, reflecting New Delhi's strategic outreach to the Western Balkans amid evolving global geopolitics. As the Minister of Earth Sciences and former Law Minister, Rijiju's diplomatic engagement underscores India's commitment to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which India co-founded in 1961 at the Belgrade Conference alongside Yugoslavia's Josip Broz Tito, Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser, and Indonesia's Sukarno. This historical connection forms the bedrock of India-Serbia ties, with Serbia being the successor state to Yugoslavia. During the meeting with President Aleksandar Vučić, Rijiju reiterated India's adherence to NAM principles — peace, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and dialogue — as enshrined in Article 51 of the Indian Constitution, which directs the State to promote international peace and security, maintain just and honourable relations between nations, and foster respect for international law. The bilateral discussions spanned defence cooperation, information technology, pharmaceuticals, and cultural exchanges. Serbia has consistently supported India's candidature for permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council, a position aligned with India's long-standing demand for equitable global governance under the G4 framework (India, Brazil, Germany, Japan). Defence collaboration is particularly noteworthy, with potential for joint production and technology transfer under India's 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives. Serbia's defence industry, known for artillery systems and unmanned aerial vehicles, complements India's modernization goals. In pharmaceuticals, India — the 'pharmacy of the world' — can expand generic drug exports to Serbia, leveraging the India-EU trade dynamics where Serbia holds candidate status for EU membership. Culturally, the visit revived people-to-people links through yoga, Ayurveda, and film festivals, enhancing soft power. The Indian diaspora in Serbia, though small, acts as a bridge. Strategically, India's engagement with Serbia balances its relations with major powers — the US, EU, Russia, and China — without alignment, embodying 'strategic autonomy' as articulated in the Ministry of External Affairs' policy doctrine. This is crucial as the Balkans witness renewed great-power competition. Future implications include a possible Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) to institutionalize cooperation, high-level visits, and Serbia's participation in India-led forums like the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). For aspirants, this visit exemplifies India's 'Act East' and 'Neighbourhood First' extensions into 'Extended Neighbourhood' diplomacy, a recurring theme in UPSC GS Paper II and International Relations.