Relationship dossier
Libya
Serbia
Relationship assessment
Defense contacts coexist with a serious dispute over Libya’s recognition of Kosovo.
Libya toward Serbia
+5Serbian authorities authorized arms exports to Libya and pursued defense cooperation, providing concrete government-to-government contact despite international concerns over arms transfers during Libya’s conflict.
Serbia toward Libya
-15Libya recognized Kosovo in 2013, directly conflicting with Serbia’s position on Kosovo’s status. Libya’s political division leaves the present standing of that decision uncertain.
Overall relationship
0The bilateral relationship combines practical defense and arms contacts with a significant political dispute over Kosovo. Longstanding ties provide historical context, but Libya’s internal political fragmentation makes the durability and current implementation of bilateral policy difficult to characterize.
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
Serbia and Libya have had practical defense and arms-trade contacts, while Libya’s recognition of Kosovo has been a major bilateral irritant for Serbia. The relationship also reflects longstanding ties dating to the Yugoslav period, but Libya’s divided political institutions complicate assessment of present policy and the status of past decisions.
Areas of tension
- Libya’s 2013 recognition of Kosovo conflicts with Serbia’s position on Kosovo’s status.
- Serbian arms exports to Libya have raised concerns in connection with the international arms embargo.
Key developments
Libya recognized Kosovo, prompting a dispute with Serbia over Kosovo’s status.
Serbian authorities authorized arms exports to Libya amid the country’s conflict and international arms-embargo concerns.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of Serbia–Libya defense cooperation are unclear.
- The status of Libya’s recognition of Kosovo amid Libya’s divided political institutions is uncertain.