IMPACT OF MINORITY ISSUES ON BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES IN THE LIGHT OF THE EU ACCESSION PROCESS – CASE OF SERBIA

Novaković Igor S. (Igor S. Novaković, istraživač, Centar za međunarodne i bezbednosne poslove – ISAC fond, Beograd), igor.novakovic@isac-fund.org

This article considers Serbia\'s bilateral dialogue with the four neighbouring countries on the implementation and respect of the domestic and international standards regarding the rights and freedoms of national minorities in Serbia. The article considers the key elements of the open issues between Serbia and each of these four countries, and their impact on the process of Serbia\'s European integration. Finally, the author offers several recommendations for the decision makers in Serbia that can help in closing of some of the open issues, as to prevent the further escalation of bilateral misunderstandings, which could be potentially dangerous for the process of Serbia\'s integration into the EU.

Keywords: minority policies, integration of minorities, segregation of minorities, bilateral relations of Serbia, process of European integration