Serbia urges understanding by Europe for its, Georgia's economic ties with China

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) — Serbia on Thursday urged the EU to be more open to rising economic cooperation with China between his country, as well as Georgia, amid rising pressure in Brussels.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili "needs to work for the benefit of his country."

"Garibashvili will face very soon the same type of question which I was always facing. Why are you doing that?

"He cannot work easily and successfully without having Chinese investments, without working very closely with them. People in Europe needs to understands that," said Vucic.

Underlining the need for freedom of choice for countries like Serbia and Georgia, he suggested that the EU would have greater influence if it did not exert pressure on "him (Garibashvili), on me, or someone else.

"I am not going to deprive my country 30% Chinese investments. I have no right to do so. This is the only thing that we ask to have this kind of freedom of choice to do whatever we can for our own countries. If we can sustain that, then it can bring good future for our own countries."

As a candidate for EU membership, Serbia is often criticized for its developing ties with China and Russia.

In October, 2023 China signed a free trade deal with Serbia, marking Beijing's first such agreement with a Central and Eastern European country.

Belgrade has also refused to impose sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine.

The government is facing pressure from the EU and the US to recognize Kosovo's independence and impose sanctions on Russia.

For his part, Garibashvili at the WEF said Georgia's economy developing rapidly.

"In the last three years, Georgia's economy grew very fast. Right now, we are one of the fastest economies in the world ... We are expanding our trade, connections, and relationships," he said.

Pointing to China's "interest in the alternative corridor, which is the so-called middle corridor," extending from China to Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus, and finally Türkiye, Garibashvili said he had a "successful trip" to China in last year.

"I met with President Xi Jinping and we decided to bring our partnership to a strategic level. China's interest had been declared a few months ago by President Jinping regarding the middle corridor," he said.

The remarks of Vucic and Garibashvili came in a panel discussion, titled "A New Dawn for Eurasia?"