PL | EN

Serbia, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Russian influence in the Balkans

Serbia and Russia signed an agreement on foreign policy consultations for 2023-2024 in the backstage of the UN General Assembly session in New York, prompting sharp criticism from EU officials. Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selaković explained that this type of agreement had already been signed many times since 1996 and was only a technical issue.

At a pre-election rally in the semi-autonomous Bosnian Serb region of Republika Srpska (one of the three constituent parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina), the Serb representative to the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, condemned the West’s actions and praised Vladimir Putin for his policies in the Balkans. In early September this year, Dodik met with Putin in Moscow, and in subsequent speeches emphasised the need for Bosnian Serbs to secede from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to Dorin Rocean, security advisor to pro-Western Moldovan President Mai Sandu, Moldova can no longer rely solely on its neutral status and needs to strengthen itself militarily, especially from a defensive aspect. In 2022, Moldova has allocated 0.45% of its GDP to defence spending. Although the former Soviet republic applied for membership in the European Union in 2022 and strongly condemned the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops are stationed in the separatist region of Transnistria – a de jure autonomous region in eastern Moldova – and the country itself is heavily dependent on Russian energy.

Read also
Asian economies: Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore
Asian economies: Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore
The Indonesian and Thai authorities intend to distribute cash and food worth USD 43 billion to their citizens, which loans will primarily finance. In Thailand, each adult citizen will receive almost USD 280, which should stimulate consumer spending. The total cost of the program will be USD 14 billion. In Indonesia, the country’s likely future […]
Jellyfish protein in forensics and DNA extraction after fires
Jellyfish protein in forensics and DNA extraction after fires
Scientists are studying brain injuries caused by domestic violence. Approx. ⅓ of women report having experienced severe physical violence from a partner, and most of them have suffered at least one traumatic brain injury (TBI). Symptoms often resemble those seen in athletes or military personnel. However, the brains of domestic violence victims were more likely […]
India, China and Pakistan: rivalry for the Maldives and Kashmir
India, China and Pakistan: rivalry for the Maldives and Kashmir
India and China compete for the small but strategically important Maldives, offering infrastructure investments and financial resources. China needs a military presence in the Arabian Sea to secure access to oil from the Persian Gulf. India considers the Maldives as its sphere of influence in the Indian Ocean and wants to ensure that the Maldives […]
Hybrid work, pay raises and the AI revolution in the labor market
Hybrid work, pay raises and the AI revolution in the labor market
According to the results of a yet unreviewed experiment at Trip.com, those employed in a hybrid work model were happier and less likely to leave the company than those who worked only in the office, and the overall productivity of both groups was the same. Meanwhile, a series of studies, for example, on call centre […]
Ibogaine, counting butterflies, menopause and depressive disorders
Ibogaine, counting butterflies, menopause and depressive disorders
Scientists studying ibogaine, a psychedelic substance, report its possible therapeutic potential in the treatment of addictions and post-traumatic stress disorder. In the small studies conducted so far, where opioid addicts were given ibogaine, from ⅓ to ⅔ of people from the study group were cured. However, the psychedelic can cause fatal heart rhythm disturbances, making […]
Previous issues