Relationship dossier
Israel
Serbia
Relationship assessment
Economic cooperation alongside disagreement over Kosovo and embassy relocation
Israel toward Serbia
+5Israel signed a free trade agreement with Serbia in 2023, supporting economic cooperation. Israel’s 2020 recognition of Kosovo ran counter to Serbia’s position on Kosovo’s status and created a significant bilateral disagreement.
Serbia toward Israel
+15Serbia signed a free trade agreement with Israel in 2023. In 2020, Serbia committed to moving its embassy to Jerusalem but later put that commitment on hold, amid disagreement over Israel’s recognition of Kosovo.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship combines a concrete economic framework, the 2023 free trade agreement, with a persistent political complication over Kosovo. Serbia’s unfulfilled or suspended embassy-relocation commitment also reflects the sensitivity of that issue. The balance is cooperative but limited by this disagreement.
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
Israel and Serbia maintain substantive economic ties, including a free trade agreement signed in 2023. Relations are also affected by Kosovo: Israel recognized Kosovo in 2020, contrary to Serbia’s position, while Serbia’s 2020 commitment to move its embassy to Jerusalem was later put on hold. These developments show cooperation alongside a significant bilateral disagreement.
Areas of tension
- Israel’s recognition of Kosovo, which Serbia opposes.
- Serbia’s commitment to move its embassy to Jerusalem and its subsequent decision to put that commitment on hold.
Key developments
Israel recognized Kosovo, a move opposed by Serbia.
Serbia committed to moving its embassy to Jerusalem and later put the commitment on hold.
Israel and Serbia signed a free trade agreement.
Major uncertainties
- The implementation and practical scope of the free trade agreement are unclear.
- The status of Serbia’s commitment to move its embassy to Jerusalem is unclear.
- The effects of Israel’s recognition of Kosovo on ongoing bilateral cooperation are unclear.