Relationship dossier
Belgium
Serbia
Relationship assessment
Practical cooperation coexists with disagreement over Kosovo and Serbia's European integration.
Belgium toward Serbia
+5Belgium has pursued practical bilateral cooperation with Serbia through a social security agreement and has supported Serbia's European integration. Belgium's recognition of Kosovo's independence conflicts with Serbia's position on Kosovo.
Serbia toward Belgium
+5Serbia has engaged in bilateral social security cooperation with Belgium. Serbia's rejection of Kosovo's independence conflicts with Belgium's recognition of Kosovo.
Overall relationship
0The relationship combines practical cooperation, including a bilateral social security agreement, with a durable political disagreement over Kosovo's status. Serbia's European integration is another important dimension of the relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Belgium and Serbia have practical bilateral cooperation, including a social security agreement. Belgium's support for Serbia's European integration coexists with a significant disagreement over Kosovo: Belgium recognizes Kosovo's independence, which Serbia rejects. The relationship is therefore mixed, with cooperation alongside a persistent political divide.
Areas of tension
- Belgium recognizes Kosovo's independence, while Serbia rejects it.
Key developments
Belgium and Serbia signed a bilateral social security agreement.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation beyond social security are unclear.
- The extent of current Belgian government support for Serbia's European integration is uncertain.