Relationship dossier
Serbia
Switzerland
Relationship assessment
Practical economic and development cooperation alongside disagreement over Switzerland’s recognition of Kosovo
Serbia toward Switzerland
+15Serbia participates in the EFTA–Serbia free-trade agreement, providing a framework for economic cooperation with Switzerland. Serbia also objects to Switzerland’s recognition of Kosovo, which conflicts with Serbia’s position on Kosovo’s status.
Switzerland toward Serbia
+15Switzerland supports development programmes in Serbia and participates in the EFTA–Serbia free-trade framework. Its recognition of Kosovo is a significant point of disagreement with the Serbian government.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship has durable economic and development cooperation, particularly through the EFTA–Serbia free-trade framework and Swiss programmes in Serbia. These practical ties coexist with a substantial political dispute over Switzerland’s recognition of Kosovo, a matter central to Serbia’s foreign policy.
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 Switzerland maintain practical economic and development cooperation, including an EFTA–Serbia free-trade agreement and Swiss support for development programmes in Serbia. A major disagreement concerns Switzerland’s recognition of Kosovo, which conflicts with Serbia’s position on Kosovo’s status. The relationship combines sustained practical cooperation with this significant political dispute.
Areas of tension
- Switzerland’s recognition of Kosovo conflicts with Serbia’s position on Kosovo’s status.
Key developments
The EFTA–Serbia free-trade agreement entered into force, establishing a framework that includes Switzerland and Serbia.
Switzerland recognized Kosovo, a decision opposed by Serbia.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation beyond trade and Swiss development programmes are unclear.
- The extent of recent government-level engagement on Kosovo-related disagreements is unclear.