Interview: His Excellency Dejan Ralevic, ambassador of Republic of Serbia to Canada

SAN: This year marks the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Canada. This anniversary is also an opportunity to strengthen political dialogue and an incentive for the development of partnership and Serbian-Canadian connections in all areas. What is currently being done to improve and deepen bilateral relations between Serbia and Canada and what results have been achieved so far? How does the embassy plan to celebrate this anniversary?

Dejan: This year's anniversary confirms the stability and duration of the relationship between the two countries, regardless of the challenges they faced in history - the most important thing is that the two countries were close allies in the most difficult times. Surely, this period covers various state forms and systems, but the most important thing is that there was continuity. The Kingdom of Serbia opened a consulate in Montreal in 1918, due to the current needs, primarily because of our emigrants, but the first legation/embassy was opened in 1941 in Ottawa.

Relations between countries are constantly developing and changing. At times, they are almost imperceptible because the results are expected later. Political dialogue always continues, economic cooperation is renewed in the hope that it will be even more intense when the economies of both countries emerge from the current conditions of recovery. Bilateral relations also reflect on multilateralism, i.e. international political cooperation. In this sense, the support of Canada within the Francophonie organization is important to us, where we expect the status of a full member. It is known that parliamentary diplomacy is one of the most important instruments for strengthening understanding and relations between countries, so work is being done to restore and strengthen the Canada-Serbia friendship group in the Canadian Parliament. For years, we have been working on the liberalization of the visa regime, since it greatly affects our citizens who have many family and friends among our fellow citizens in Canada. Because of that, we are making efforts to convince Canadian partners of the importance and correctness of the liberalization of the regime, as can be seen on the example of the liberalized regime of Serbia with the European Union.

The commemoration of this year's significant anniversary, due to the epidemiological conditions we are in, will unfortunately be virtual, and will include the opening of an exhibition organized by the Archives of Yugoslavia (the formalization of relations began during the Kingdom of Yugoslavia), and a cultural and artistic program with our artists in Canada, which are a real bridge of cooperation between the two countries. We expect that this topic will also be discussed in the Canadian Parliament, i.e. that some of the deputies, members of the friendship group, address their colleagues with a message about the significance of the anniversary.

SAN: Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, after a recent meeting with the newly appointed Canadian ambassador Giles Norman, expressed his satisfaction that the inflow of Canadian investments to Serbia is increasing. He expressed the hope that, apart from mining and energy, other economic areas will be interesting for Canadian businessmen. Where do you see the potential for further development of cooperation between Canada and Serbia, when it comes to economic sectors?

Dejan: For economic cooperation, the most important thing is a stable, attractive and predictable business environment, which is based on a regulated legal basis. Serbia is rapidly transforming. It has become a country with extremely high ratings from the most important international financial institutions, which is confirmed by its rapid rise on the Doing Business list of the World Bank group, which is a true indicator of business conditions for the most important economic subjects of a country - small and medium-sized enterprises. Canadian companies show interest in continuing to invest in the Serbian economy, not only in traditional economic branches, such as mining, but also in areas that are absolute priorities in the 21^st century: renewable energy sources and environmental protection, including waste management and water management. Moreover, agriculture and the food industry are always attractive areas for investment.

We are aware that every country today is struggling with the consequences of the pandemic and its impact on international economic and financial flows, which is why international cooperation fighting against the pandemic is crucial.

SAN: Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also mentioned that Serbia could use Canada's experience in environmental protection. What are the plans to improve the environment in Serbia?

Dejan: As previously mentioned, environmental protection and the fight against climate change have become the most important topics in the last ten years, and I'm positive it will continue in the future. They are working very dedicatedly on this issue in Serbia, and the fact that civil society and citizens are increasingly involved in discussions and proposals for solving current topics in this area speaks to its importance and sensitivity. On the other hand, our path to full membership in the European Union has a very significant and positive impact on the dynamics of changing the legislative framework, in accordance with the best European and world practices. We are aware of the fact that the fight for clean air and water has become a priority, and in this sense efforts are being made to change the situation in Serbia for the better in the years to come, i.e. provide the highest standards in that area. In this sense, the Canadian experience is extremely important to us, especially in the fight to reduce the emission of harmful gases and the use of renewable energy sources. In addition, we must be aware that this transformation is extremely expensive.

SAN: During your welcome speech after your arrival in Canada, you mentioned that the introduction of a direct airline that will connect Serbia and Canada is expected. Many of us are eagerly awaiting that line. When will it be introduced and to what extent has the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the introduction of the same?

Dejan: Both countries have provided the most important thing - the legal basis for establishing direct air traffic, and now it is up to commercial companies from both sides to find the best business solutions and establish direct flights between the two countries. It would be significant, not only for our citizens on both sides, but also for business people who would find the journey extremely easy. And in this sense, engagement in the liberalization of the visa regime is important.

We are aware that the pandemic slowed down all activities, including this one, but it certainly did not stop it. This is why, I hope that the national airlines, bearing in mind the evaluations of the cost-effectiveness of introducing a direct airline (like the one to New York), will speed up the decision-making process - we must understand that, after all, it is a commercial business, where there are many parameters need to be included in order to make a final decision.

SAN: For several months, it has been mentioned in Serbia about the possibility of introducing mandatory military service for citizens of Serbia. Will mandatory military service also apply to young people from the diaspora who have Serbian citizenship?

Dejan: The debate has just begun and it is a good example of discussing important social issues (such as the abolition or introduction of mandatory military service) first - widely and intensively. There are always pros and cons. Since there are different experiences in Europe and the world, it is certainly important to look at these aspects as well. Instead, the most important thing is to analyze our national experience, in order to finally make a decision. Moreover, the perception of the international security situation must always be taken into account, as to create an appropriate picture.

In that sense, since it is a social controversy on this issue, I am not able to predict whether this idea will turn into a decision or what it would eventually look like, i.e. who will be part of it.

SAN: What would you like to focus on during your mandate, what are your plans and expectations?

Dejan: The most important thing is to keep the political dialogue alive, to improve mutual understanding, especially where there are differences, to expand and develop parliamentary diplomacy, and what is certainly the most important - to raise economic relations to a higher level. I am not only referring to mutual trade (which is always around 100 million dollars per year - you will agree that it is small for both countries), but also to investment. Surely, Serbia, as a country that is developing and wants to become a member of the European Union, needs as much foreign investment as possible. I would be extremely satisfied if Serbian companies would also find an interest and opportunity to invest in Canada. There are such cases and they are very successful, but they are not numerous. On the contrary, there are already plenty of Canadian companies, but we would like to see them in even greater numbers.

Additionally, as a work task before me and the Embassy, as I have mentioned, is the engagement in the liberalization of the visa regime.

Last, but not least, is cooperation with the Serbian diaspora in Canada, which is numerous and concentrated in Ontario, and raising the quality of consular services to our citizens. There will always be those who will find flaws in the system of providing services to citizens, but our goal is that there will be fewer of them.

SAN: How can the organization of the Serbian diaspora in Canada be improved? What steps should be taken to empower our community and gain a voice?

Dejan: The Serbian diaspora has been organized for decades in ways that were probably possible and acceptable at the time. It went through various Serbian and Yugoslav associations, there were misunderstandings and similar, but I believe that time is behind us. The role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Serbian diaspora is not in question - like in the homeland, when times were the most difficult, it managed to defend and preserve the identity of the community, and abroad, including Canada, to help in the education of our children and youth and preservation of language and culture.

It is noticeable that our community in Canada is not one of the more active communities when it comes to participation in political life - compared to other communities in this country. It is a chance that our community really has to win and I am sure that many ideas and initiatives of the Serbian diaspora would get its confirmation and achieve significant success at the Canadian level if community representatives showed more interest in participating in Canadian political life. We all know that this is the best way to promote the interests of a certain group. There are members of our diaspora who advocate uniting our citizens organized in hundreds of smaller and scattered associations, but it is important that our fellow citizens understand and accept this initiative, because it would be in the common interest - one strong voice of the community is certainly necessary. The united voice of the community, on the other hand, does not necessarily imply the unity of political opinions, but the unification around the most important topics for the Serbian community.

SAN: How do you like Ontario and Ottawa? How well did you manage to get to know Canada given the limited movement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic?

Dejan: Unfortunately, the situation is such that there are not many opportunities to move around and get to know Canada, which is really frustrating for everyone. Apart from Ottawa, I had the opportunity to get to know Toronto and its surroundings, so I can draw a parallel - Ottawa is a quiet administrative city, with beautiful surroundings, while Toronto is just different and represents the image of North American cities, huge and dynamic. I hope that the pandemic will calm down and that we will return to a "normal" state, which will allow me to get to know this huge country.

I enjoyed the Canadian winter (although I know it was mild), because I love winter, snow and cold weather, especially winter sports. I am delighted to be able to skate on the largest natural ice rink in the world - the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, as well as skiing in Quebec.

SAN: What has your career been like so far? What are you proud of from your previous diplomatic work? Do you believe any of your previous experiences in the diplomatic service can be applied to Canada during your mandate and beyond?

Dejan: I have to be honest and say that my career was quite successful, not only this diplomatic one, but also the previous one, when I worked in the private sector. I progressed in diplomacy in accordance with the rules of the service, from the youngest diplomat to the ambassador. In one period, before coming to work in Canada, I held the position of Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, in charge of relations with the European Union. In this sense, since I performed everything that a diplomat and civil servant can perform, I am extremely satisfied.

From my previous experiences, I would have to highlight the experience from Switzerland as a (con)federal state, which could be useful to me, since I have seen in action the advantages and challenges in the mutual cooperation of the Swiss cantons (provinces in Canada), and the relationship between the cantons and the federal government. - which can be interesting for work in Canada. Switzerland is also the country of emigrants, of course in a different format, but it has that epithet of "emigrant paradise" that was also attached to Canada for a long time.

Any experience in the previous job can and should be used in the current one.

SAN: Please introduce yourself to our readers. Who is Dejan Ralević in his private life?

Dejan: I always introduce myself as being from Pirot, even though I was born in Nis. It is true that I grew up in Pirot and that is where my best memories are. I also have Montenegrin origins, which is clearly inferred from my surname (from the largest Serbian tribe in Montenegro - Vasojević), since my grandfather is from the Berane area. And at the end of the day, I am a citizen of Belgrade, because I have lived and worked in our capital for several decades.

I am very attached to my family, I have friends from childhood with whom I am very close, during the isolation I dedicated myself to reading number of books. I enjoy outdoor sports, hiking, cycling. I am adventurous, ready for new challenges. Very briefly, I would say about myself that I am simple and I like people.