Sitemap

H.E. Juan Jose Sanz Aparicio, Ambassador of Spain to Serbia

Relationship Without a Bone of Contention

Spain defends the Republic of Serbia’s sovereignty and the principle of territorial integrity, which is why it does not recognise Kosovo’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence ~ Juan Joze Sanz Aparicio

Juan Joze Sanz Aparicio, the new Spanish ambassador in Belgrade, confirms that bilateral relations between Spain and Serbia are currently excellent. However, he immediately adds that there is still room for progress because “economic and cultural exchanges, although improving every year, are still well below the level of our political relations”. Speaking in this interview for Cord Magazine, Ambassador Sanz Aparicio says that trying to bring more Spanish companies and investments to Serbia will be one of his goals during his time in Belgrade.

Your Excellency, you have been in Serbia for a few months now; in this a country which, according to your embassy’s website, has a relationship with Spain that’s marked by mutual respect and affection. What are your first impressions?

— My first impressions are very positive. I arrived in Belgrade on 28th January and from the very first moment my wife and I have felt your warm hospitality and this affection that we mention on our website. Belgrade is a vibrant city that’s full of history and places to enjoy. Serbia is a wonderful country with an amazing history and a dynamic, stable and flourishing economy (by the way, the most important economy in the region). Moreover, we have ahead of us plenty of historical moments to experience together, such as Expo 2027. I personally look forward to taking part in all these events and doing my bit to try to improve the already good bilateral relation between our two countries.

How would you characterise current bilateral relations?

— Our bilateral relationship is, in general terms, excellent. We have no bones of contention. We have an extraordinary connection politically, as was evident during 2022’s respective visits of President Vučić to Madrid in February and Prime Minister Sánchez to Belgrade in July. I would like to place special emphasis on the fact that this was the first ever visit of a Spanish Prime Minister to Serbia.

These personal contacts yielded excellent results and reinforced and accentuated our bilateral bonds. There is therefore still room for improvement, because our economic and cultural exchanges, although improving every year, are still well below the level of our political relations. It is true that we have witnessed a significant increase in our economic and commercial exchange.

Let me point out that our bilateral exchange grew by 80% between 2022 and 2024 alone, reaching a billion euros. This figure was unprecedented. However, despite all these positive developments, only a handful of Spanish companies are permanently on the ground in Serbia. One of my goals in Belgrade will be to try to improve our business cooperation by bringing more Spanish companies and investments to Serbia, by developing, for instance, infrastructure projects. In this regard, Expo 27 offers us a great window of opportunity.

The recent vote in the Spanish parliament, which overwhelmingly rejected the proposal to recognise Kosovo as an independent state, has attracted significant attention in Serbia. What do you consider as being the strongest argument for Spain maintaining this stance, despite calls to the contrary from the EU majority?

To sum up our position, allow me to quote the Spanish intervention at the International Court of Justice in 2009: “Spain is convinced that the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo proclaimed by its provisional government institutions is not in accordance with International Law, nor with the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia”.

This 20th anniversary of the 2004 opening of the Instituto Cervantes in Belgrade provides a great opportunity to relaunch our cultural strategy, offering the Serbian public new content and activities

Our position is therefore based firmly on solid principles of International Law and especially on the universally accepted principle of state sovereignty as established by the UN Charter, some resolutions adopted by the UNGA and other international instruments of great importance, such as the Helsinki Final Act or the Charter of Paris for a New Europe. Considering this legal argument, all Spanish Governments since 2008, without exception and regardless of the political party that won the elections, have maintained the same position: Spain defends the sovereignty and principle of territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia and therefore does not recognise Kosovo’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence.

You have stated that improving economic cooperation is a priority of your future work. In which areas could this cooperation develop most rapidly?

— For Spain, it is essential that the Framework Protocol on Financial and Technical Cooperation, signed on 2nd November 2022, enters into force. This international bilateral agreement should become a crucial element of our future relationship and should allow Spanish companies, some of which are world leaders in their capacities, to share their experiences and knowhow with Serbian counterparts in different areas, such as railway infrastructure, renewable energy, the food industry, smart cities, agricultural technology or tourism.

You have expressed the ambition to increase the presence of Spanish culture in Serbia. How do you envisage the Cervantes Institute, which recently celebrated 20 years of operations in Belgrade, evolving over the decade ahead?

— I have also realised that Serbian people know and love Spanish culture, which they find very appealing. Considering this, we plan to reinforce our cultural presence all around this country, and not only in Belgrade.

Obviously, Instituto Cervantes will have a fundamental role to play on this issue, as our flagship institution of culture, which offers a wide selection of cultural events including literature, music, cinema, theatre and exhibitions, as well as Spanish language courses for all levels of proficiency. This work is complementary to the amazing efforts of the Spanish Language Departments at the universities of Belgrade, Kragujevac and Novi Sad, as well as of the many Spanish language teachers in public and private schools across Serbia.

This 20th anniversary of the 2004 opening of the Instituto Cervantes in Belgrade provides a great opportunity to relaunch our cultural strategy, offering the Serbian public new content and activities.

After two decades, I also believe it is now time for Instituto Cervantes to formalise its situation in Serbia, overcoming the limitations stemming from the fact that it is housed in a rented building. Permanent offices for this institute won’t only represent an acknowledgment of our firm and solid commitment to Serbia, but will also allow it to fulfil its mandate more effectively – not only in Serbia, but across the entire Balkan region.

You convey a message of support for Serbia’s European integration to your interlocutors in the country. Given your experience, do you believe the EU will admit a new member state in the foreseeable future and, if so, is it more likely to be Ukraine or a Western Balkan country?

— Serbia’s place is in Europe. In fact, it is difficult to understand the history of Europe in the 20th century if you don’t know the history of Serbia and the Balkans. Spain fully supports Serbia’s candidacy to join the European Union and we have consistently reaffirmed our commitment to the EU membership of all Western Balkan countries. Moreover, the Council of the European Union decided in December 2023, under the Spanish Presidency, to accelerate the process. However, you must take into account the fact that these negotiations are always long and complicated and have their ups and downs. Sometimes you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. They are also influenced by internal (domestic) and external (international) factors that are sometimes unpredictable (such as the war in Ukraine), and it is therefore very difficult to foresee their development over the long term. At any rate, accession negotiations with the country you mention started recently, and it would consequently be logical to expect those negotiations that are already more advanced to conclude earlier. In diplomacy, persistence and patience are two indisputable values.

Prior to your arrival in Serbia, you served as special envoy of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Gibraltar region. This area has become particularly interesting post-Brexit, due to the need for a long-awaited agreement between Spain and the UK on Gibraltar’s final status. What is the fate of this “British colony on Spanish territory”?

Brexit was a disaster for Gibraltar. Some 98% of voters there voted to remain in the EU. Considering the close social and economic links between Gibraltar and the surrounding area (The Campo), the Spanish Government decided to take the bull by the horns and devise an original proposal to build a new relationship between Gibraltar and the EU in which Spain would be the member state responsible for applying European Law in Gibraltar. The final goal is to create a zone of shared prosperity covering the whole area, integrating Gibraltar into the Schengen Area and, partially, into the Custom Union, while removing all existing physical barriers preventing the circulation of people and goods. And, more importantly, safeguarding the respective positions of the United Kingdom and Spain on Gibraltar’s sovereignty. This is what we have been negotiating since 2020. It is very complex, but if you consider that this situation is 320 years old (England first occupied Gibraltar on 4th August, 1704), who said it would be easy? We once again need persistence and patience.

COOPERATION

For Spain, it is essential that the Framework Protocol on Financial and Technical Cooperation, signed on 2nd November 2022, enters into force

EU CANDIDACY

Serbia’s place is in Europe. In fact, it is difficult to understand the history of Europe in the 20th century if you don’t know the history of Serbia and the Balkansa

TRADE

Let me point out that our bilateral exchange grew by 80% between 2022 and 2024 alone, reaching a billion euros

Related Articles

Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland

The Importance of EU Enlargement

Reforms of democratic institutions, the rule of law, anti-corruption and sound market economy principles must continue to be the starting point in paving the...

H.E. Joseph Kalala Mulamba, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Republic of Serbia

The Fight for Natural Resources

More than 15 million people have so far perished in the race for strategic minerals taking place in the Eastern Congo. This silent, untold...

H.E. Anke Konrad, Ambassador Of Germany To Serbia

Remembering the Fall of the Iron Curtain

Economic growth in the eastern part of Germany has outpaced that in the West over the last ten years. However, it is also true...

Dr Vladimir Kostić, Ph.D. neurologist, university professor and academic

No Teachers, No Future

In my father’s village, only the teachers were called “sir”. We today pay them poorly, underappreciate them, and sometimes even beat them – they...

H.E. José Rui Velez Caroço, Ambassador of Portugal to Serbia

Special Guest

In celebrating the 50th anniversary of democracy, following the Carnation Revolution of 1974, Portugal wants to foster this good relationship, considering Serbia’s EU accession...

H.E. Urs Schmid, Ambassador of Switzerland to Serbia

Whirlwind of Remarkable Events

Diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Serbia were established back in 1916, and political relations between the two countries have been strong and diverse ever...

H.E. Pierre Cochard, French Ambassador to Serbia

Fraternity Through Sport

As part of the Olympic tradition, France, as the host country of this year’s Summer Games, presented a resolution on the observation of the...

Janos Babity, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade

75 Years of Promoting Human Rights

Recent reports from Council of Europe bodies confirm a mixed picture when it comes to the state of human rights in Europe. While many...

More...

H.E. Ahmed Hatem Almenhali, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Serbia

Relations At An All -Time High

Towards the end of Q1 2025, the citizens of Zrenjanin will gain access to safe, clean water, marking a significant milestone in improving the...

Takashi Shimizu, Representative Director, President and CEO, Toyo Tire Corporation

Serbia is a Key Hub of Japanese Industry

Our choice of Serbia has proven correct, as it has become one of Europe’s most attractive business environments, offering strong government support and understanding,...

H.E. Akira Imamura, Ambassador of Japan to Serbia

A Glimpse Into the Future

Under the main theme of “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, the Japanese World exhibition will present the diversity of life, the existence of...

Yasunari Miyauchi, JETRO Budapest general director

Breakthrough in Bilateral Cooperation

Growing business exchanges between Serbia and Japan, particularly in the energy, IT and environmental sectors, present significant opportunities for cooperation and new investments Last year...

IWC Opens Call for Proposals for Women Empowerment Projects in Serbia

Following the success of its 2024 Charity Bazaar, which raised over 4 million RSD, the International Women’s Club of...

Neoplanta Celebrates New Life with Generous Gesture

In a touching display of community spirit, Neoplanta, a renowned food company based in Novi Sad, once again marked...

The Hermitage Days are Being Held Again in Belgrade in 2025

The Hermitage Days in Serbia represent a unique international cultural project that will take place from February 19 to...

AgroBelgrade 2025 – A Hub for Innovation and Trade in Agriculture and Horticulture

Over 500 exhibitors will converge at the three-day AgroBelgrade 2025, bringing together the best of Eastern Europe’s fruit, vegetable,...

Djokovic into Australian Open Semifinals After Victory Over Alcaraz

The best Serbian tennis player, Novak Djokovic, secured his place in the Australian Open semifinals after an incredibly thrilling...