Relationship dossier
Portugal
Serbia
Relationship assessment
Practical cooperation accompanies a lasting disagreement over Kosovo.
Portugal toward Serbia
+5Portugal has supported Serbia’s European integration and participates in bilateral social-security cooperation. Portugal’s recognition of Kosovo, which Serbia rejects, remains a significant point of disagreement.
Serbia toward Portugal
+10Serbia participates in bilateral social-security cooperation with Portugal. Its opposition to Kosovo’s independence conflicts with Portugal’s recognition of Kosovo.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship includes practical cooperation, notably social-security arrangements, and Portugal’s support for Serbia’s European integration. Portugal’s recognition of Kosovo, opposed by Serbia, is a durable source of political friction; the overall relationship is mixed rather than defined solely by that dispute.
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
Portugal and Serbia have practical bilateral cooperation, including a social-security agreement and Portugal’s support for Serbia’s European integration. Portugal’s recognition of Kosovo is a significant point of disagreement with Serbia, which rejects Kosovo’s independence. The relationship therefore combines cooperation with a persistent political tension.
Areas of tension
- Portugal’s recognition of Kosovo conflicts with Serbia’s position that Kosovo is part of Serbia.
Key developments
Portugal recognized Kosovo, a decision opposed by Serbia.
Portugal and Serbia concluded a bilateral social-security agreement.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation beyond social security are unclear.
- The extent of Portugal’s current support for Serbia’s European integration is unclear.