Estonia and Serbia

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Estonia and Serbia

Bilateral relations

(last updated: 01.03.2013)

Diplomatic relations between Estonia and Serbia were concluded on 9 February 2001 in Helsinki by way of an exchange of notes.

On 21 March 2002, the first ambassador of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Radoje Zečević, presented his credentials.

Estonia’s ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro, Arti Hilpus presented his credentials on 22 February 2013. The ambassador resides in Tallinn.

Serbian Ambassador to Estonia Slavko Kruljević presented his credentials on 30 January 2013. The Serbian ambassador resides in Helsinki.

Important visits

to Serbia
October 2012	Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications Juhan Parts
August 2011	Foreign Minister Urmas Paet
October 2009	President Toomas Hendrik Ilves
October 2008	Foreign Minister Urmas Paet
September 2008	President Toomas Hendrik Ilves met with Serbian President Boris Tadić within the framework of the UN General Assembly
October 2007	Foreign Minister Urmas Paet met with Serbian Deputy Foreign Minister Zoran Vujić within the framework of the meeting of Baltic and Adriatic Charter nations’ as well as the USA’s foreign and defence ministers

to Estonia
November 2011	Minister of Environment, Mining and Spatial Planning Oliver Dulić
November 2011	Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dačić
September 2010	Serbian President Boris Tadić on an official visit to Estonia
April 2010	Serbian Minister of Informationtechnology Jasna Matić
March 2010	Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić
February 2007	Serbian Deputy Foreign Minister B. Djordjević and Defence Minister Z. Stanković participating at the meeting of the foreign affairs and defence ministers of the member states of the Baltic and Adriatic Charters and of the USA in Tallinn

There was an Estonia-Serbia parliamentary group in the XI Riigikogu. In the spring of 2009 members of Serbia’s parliament came to Estonia as guests of the Estonia-Serbia parliamentary group. In the current Riigikogu an Estonia-Serbia parliamentary group has not yet been formed. An Estonia friendship group was formed in the Serbian parliament in 2013.

Agreements

On 15 March 2002, the Agreement on culture, education and sports was signed. The agreement entered into force on 7 March 2003.
On 25 September 2009 an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation between the nations was signed. The agreement came into force on 14 June 2010.
On 7 April 2010 the Estonian minister of economic affairs and communications and the Serbian minister of information technology signed an agreement by which Estonia will give Serbia the software for X-Road.
On 9 November 2011 the implementation protocol on the agreement for the return of illegally residing persons was signed.

Economic Relations

In 2012 Serbia ranked 66th among Estonia’s trade partners. Among export partners Serbia was in 62nd place and among import partners it was in 56th place.

Estonia-Serbia Trade 2007-2012 (thousands of EUR)

	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
Export	3285	3892	3611	2832	3453	6821
Import	2192	1418	1311	1085	1075	2785
Turnover	5477	5310	4742	3917	4528	9606
Balance	1093	2474	2300	1747	2378	4037

All economic figures are from the Statistical Office of Estonia

Estonia’s main articles of export to Serbia in 2012 were:

Optical equipment
Plastics and plastic products
Machinery and equipment
Prepared food products

Estonia’s main articles of import in 2012 were:

Machinery and equipment
Wood and wood products
Shoes
Textiles

Investments

Estonia’s investments in Serbia have remained quite similar over the last few years. According to Bank of Estonia data, Estonian direct investments in Serbia as of 30 June 2012 totalled 697 thousand euros, and Serbia’s direct investment position in Estonia totalled 63 thousand euros.

Development Co-operation an humanitarian aid

From 28 August to 3 September 2006, a seminar took place in Tallinn, arranged by the Estonian Board of Border Guard and the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces for the regional heads of the border guard organisations of the Western Balkan countries, including for the representatives from Albania. At the seminar, the Estonian border guard’s experiences in the fields connected with the guarding the sea and land borders, risk analysis as well as with investigation into cross-border crime were introduced.
From 2006-2007 the Ministry of Finance helped Serbia develop its statistics sector.
In 2010 officials working in the environmental sector in Serbia visited the Estonian Ministry of the Environment on a study trip and became acquainted with Estonia’s environmental protection measures.
In the second half of 2010 the e-Governance Academy carried out a project to establish an X-Road system in Serbia, within the framework of which training sessions took place for Serbian officials and an IT-themed conference was organised in October in co-operation with the Serbian Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society.
In 2010-2011 a project is being carried out with the support of European Union IPA funds in co-operation with many local Serbian governments and the city governments of Tallinn, Tartu and Viljandi to more broadly implement e-services in Serbia.

Cultural Relations

Among the events of the last couple of years, the following are worth mentioning:

For many years the curriculum of Tartu University (Slavic philology department) has included the subject of Western and Southern Slavic culture. It has also been possible to study the Serbian language.
Serbian films have frequently been featured in the programme of the Black Nights Film Festival.
During the international children’s and youth theatre festival that took place in Subotica, Serbia from 21-27 May 2006, the Estonian Puppet Theatre won the festival Grand Prix for its production of “The Troll-Boy”.
On 19 April 2008, Vojvodina Day took place at Tartu University European College through the co-operation of TU European College and the Serbian Centre for Politics and Euro-Atlantic Partnership. The event was a part of the project Vojvodina-Estonia: Advancing youth dialogue between cultures. Vojvodina youths introduced their activities and visions for a united Europe to students there. Other activities included a debate, film screenings, and meetings with representatives from Estonian youth organisations and ministries.
From 13-19 April 2009, the Open Estonia Foundation organised the project Sharing Experiences, Good Practices and Know-How: Media and Information in Estonia and Serbia within the framework of the East-East Cross-Border Co-operation Programme. Vojvodina journalists from Serbia got acquainted with Estonia’s European Union integration experience, the development of Estonian media, and the realm of digitalisation. They also visited East Virumaa and met with representatives of ethnic minority groups.
Emir Kusturica and the No Smoking Orchestra have performed in Estonia twice (in 2008 and 2010).
In August of 2011 the exhibit of Estonian nature photos “Seasons” was on display at the Museum of Yugoslav History in Belgrade.

The constitutional charter of 4 February 2003 between the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro entitled Montenegro to organize a referendum on independence in 2006. In the independence referendum, held on 21 May 2006, 55.5% of the inhabitants voted for independence. On 3 June 2006, Montenegro formally declared itself an independent republic. The union between Serbia and Montenegro thus having been disbanded, Serbian parliament followed on 5 June 2006 by declaring Serbia an independent republic and the legal successor of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.

From history, Estonia and Serbia and Montenegro can show an agreement concluded on 01.02.1928 in Belgrade between the Republic of Estonia and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians, namely the trade and shipping convention (ratified in the Riigikogu on 24.05.1928).