* It is important to face all questions related to the war crimes committed during the war in Kosovo *
* Relations in the region are not bad, there is a high interest in regional cooperation*
Human rights are equal for every person, everywhere in the world, regardless of their origin, gender and worldview, guaranteeing to us all individual freedoms and protecting us from the authoritarianism of the state. In general, human rights are one of civilization's most fundamental achievements. It is precisely on the example of the atrocities committed by my countrymen in the first half of the 20th century that the world realized how important it is for citizens' rights to be protected from state violence and authoritarianism. Exactly 72 years ago, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed as the basis for that protection, and two years later, 70 years ago, the European Convention on Human Rights was adopted, according to which the citizens of the signatory states were given the right to file a lawsuit against their state's government if human rights were denied to them - Thomas Schieb, Germany's ambassador to Serbia, says in an interview for Danas.
As he points out, human rights are therefore closely tied to the rule of law that protects them. "Unfortunately, we have lately increasingly witnessed how the rule of law in many countries failed in crucial situations, resulting in human rights restrictions. At the very beginning, there is often pressure on civil society in a country, in order to deny it the right to free expression of opinions, followed by a lack of response of judicial authorities. Therefore, we strongly advocate for human rights and the rule of law as a guarantee of these rights, both at the multilateral level, for example at the United Nations, and everywhere in the world," Ambassador Schieb says.
* The Covid-19 pandemic threatens to seriously undermine the global economy, healthcare systems in many countries are on the brink, thousands of people have lost their jobs... What will be the consequences for the EU economy, the economy of third countries?
- The pandemic has affected all spheres of personal life, but its consequences have hit society as a whole, the political and economic system, the rule of law, the healthcare system. Moreover, it is difficult to predict how long the restrictions affecting households and businesses will last. It is obvious that they will last for quite a while, which affects the willingness of households to spend, as well as the decisions of businesses on investments, which, in turn, has repercussions for overall demand. As for Germany, GDP is estimated to shrink by about 5.5%, and at the EU level by about 8%. Serbia has so far managed to mitigate the economic consequences of the crisis, by adopting two major bailout packages for the economy and investing in infrastructure. Also, the structure of Serbia's economy, with a lower rate of dependence on tourism, is more favorable than the one in the countries around it. Germany acted quickly to support the economy and adopted comprehensive aid measures. One of them, particularly significant, was the payment of compensation to employees who were forced into part-time work. Many jobs were saved in that way.
The reaction of the European Union was without precedent: Under Germany's chairmanship of the Council of the European Union, the financial framework for the coming years has been harmonized to ensure economic growth. The Western Balkans will benefit from this, as the EU's nine billion-euro economic and investment plan for the region will set important benchmarks for long-term economic growth. Our goal is to give an impulse for growth that is in line with the principles of climate protection and a healthy environment, while digitization too has great potential to generate growth. The recovery of Europe's economy will largely depend on the speed at which its main trading partners will recover.
*Germany's borders remain closed to most Serbian citizens. No one can enter Germany as a tourist. Are these measures really necessary, does the EU really have to close its borders to citizens of non-member states?
- In Germany, the number of newly infected people, unfortunately, is currently at a very high level. To prevent the overload of the health sector, the government of the Federal Republic of Germany, in close cooperation with the federal provinces, has adopted a series of measures, one of which is to close Germany's borders to tourists from over 100 countries (including Serbia). Almost all EU members have taken similar measures. Currently, Serbian citizens can enter Germany exclusively on a valid national visa. The application process is the same. Information about this can be found on our website www.belgrad.diplo.de. Despite all the aggravating circumstances, we have managed to continue working with the parties, albeit at a lower level, and we are asking everyone for their understanding.
* The dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina has also stalled due to the indictments against Hashim Thaçi and other Kosovo officials before the Hague Tribunal. What do you expect from these trials? It seems that animosity is again very strong between Serbia and Kosovo?
- It is important to face all questions regarding war crimes in Kosovo. I therefore strongly welcome the fact that the Special Court in The Hague has initiated proceedings. I don't believe it has anything to do with the dialogue on normalizing relations in Brussels. It is great that this summer, a dialogue led by Miroslav Lajčák has been renewed with the aim of discussing all outstanding issues. Only in this way we can resolve them, only in this way can we reach a comprehensive, legally binding agreement on normalization. At the moment, the pandemic makes it very difficult, and as far as Brussels is concerned, scheduling any meetings for political talks is out of the question. Nevertheless, I hope that the normalization dialogue will resume soon.
* Western Balkan countries are generally on bad terms even though 30 years have passed since the wars. Germany and the EU appear to have given up on this region? Do you see this region in the EU one day and is this perhaps the solution to lasting peace?
- I'm sorry, but I disagree with your assessment. Relations in the region are not so bad and there is strong interest in regional cooperation. This was made very clear in early October at the Sofia summit, as part of the Berlin Process. A significant step has been made towards establishing a single economic area, which should give a strong impulse to the economy in the Western Balkans. And by signing the green agenda declaration, states have committed to focusing more on environmental and climate protection. It is about improving the region's road infrastructure and international telephone traffic in the region is now cheaper. All this is going in the right direction and serves the interests of citizens, and it is good for the economy too. Also, this is how the region prepares for accession to the European Union. It is indisputable that there are frictions, but it is often more about different views of shared history, including the events of the 1990s. And some media outlets provoke scandals with their sensationalist headlines. It is the responsibility of politicians to simmer down the public debate and curb the passions.
* How do you estimate the current Serbian-German relations? Germany is Serbia 's biggest trading partner
- Bilateral relations are excellent, especially our economic relations, which are very intense. Germany is Serbia's biggest trading partner. Since 2000, German companies invested a huge amount of about 2.6 billion euros in Serbia, creating ca 64,000 jobs. In addition, the structure of German investments has changed over time. We are witnessing that German businessmen here are increasingly producing goods with a higher degree of processing and have opened their own scientific and research institutes, in close cooperation with universities. We are glad that we helped Serbia during the coronavirus crisis, both bilaterally, with very concrete things, such as protective clothing, respirators and vaccines, as well as within the EU, where we prepared a large package of financial support for Serbia.
The author of the interview is Jelena Diković - Danas