Southeast European Countries and a Nuclear Weapons Ban

Abstract

The paper aims to review the perceptions of the Southeast European countries toward the NPT and TPNW and identify the main determinants of their disarmament policies. It analyzes official statements of the Southeast European states during the NPT preparatory meetings and review conferences, and their positions in various stages of the TPNW development, to bring out a position of a certain country toward the NPT and TPNW and then dive into analysis of the determinants of the outcomes. The paper contributes to the deeper understanding of the disarmament policy choices of the Southeast European states, thus also contributing to the assessment of possible changes in their positions regarding the nuclear weapons ban.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

FUNDING DETAILS

The paper presents the findings of a study developed as a part of the research project “Serbia and challenges in international relations in 2024”, financed by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia and conducted by the Institute of International Politics and Economics, Belgrade during the year 2024.

Notes

1 The authors use the term “Southeast Europe” to include the following countries: Countries of the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia), as well as Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Türkiye. These countries are all member states of the United Nations, and parties to the NPT.

2 Greece and Türkiye are the oldest NATO members from the region, joining the Alliance in 1952. Bulgaria and Romania became members in 2004, Albania and Croatia in 2009, Montenegro in 2017, and North Macedonia in 2020. This leaves outside of NATO only Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (primarily because of the opposition of Republic of Srpska and declared military neutrality). These countries are nevertheless part of NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program.

3 Montenegro and North Macedonia (then known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYRM)) endorsed the “Humanitarian Pledge”, but were not members of NATO at that time.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andrej Stefanović

Andrej Stefanović works as a diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, where he is currently assigned to the Arms Control Department. Previously, from 2019 to 2023, he held the role of disarmament officer at Serbia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office in Geneva. Before joining the foreign service, he was engaged as a researcher at the Belgrade Center for Security Policy, a think tank based in Belgrade. Andrej also gained valuable experience through internships at the EU Delegation in Serbia and the Institute of International Politics and Economics in Belgrade. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in international relations and a Master’s degree in European integration from the University of Belgrade. Additionally, he has authored numerous articles and policy papers addressing areas such as arms control and disarmament, constitutional theory, and European integration. Email: [email protected]

Marina Kostić Šulejić

Dr. Marina Kostić Šulejić is a Research Fellow at the Institute of International Politics and Economics and the Head of the Centre for Non-Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament of the Professional Association of Security Sector. The areas of her academic interest are world order in the 21st century, and defense and security policy. Marina has published a dozen research papers dealing with international institutions and world order, strategic and nuclear arms control and non-proliferation, bilateral and regional relations in the Western Balkans, security issues in Serbia and its policy of military neutrality, as well as the EU enlargement policy. She has participated in many national and international conferences, workshops, and educational programs. In 2022, she published a book titled “Strategic Stability in a Multipolar World”. Previously, she published several articles regarding the controversial issues of extending the New START and its possible multilateralization. Email: [email protected]