Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic in Madrid, Spain, May 4, 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE/Chema Moya
Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic stated that the Belgrade government is considering the recall of its Warsaw Ambassador, Nikola Zurovac, who signed a letter of support to the Polish LGBT community without consulting the ministry or government.
Selakovic said he was supposed to be in Poland now, but that Polish officials had now cancelled his planned meetings in Warsaw.
“Then we learned that the reason was the actions of our ambassador, who signed the petition … and it is considered that the [Serbian] state is behind what ambassador did. He did not consult with anyone and a ministerial visit was expected,” Selakovic told the media outlet Kurir.
Selakovic stated that the petition “was not signed by all EU members” and added that his visit to Warsaw was not canceled but postponed.
“My move is for the ambassador to be invited for consultations, and the government to decide on his dismissal. In diplomacy, every word is binding. The visit to Poland will be organised again soon,” Selakovic stressed.
Serbian Ambassador Nikola Zurovac signed a letter of support for the LGBT community with another 40 ambassadors, mostly from EU countries, which drew a hostile reaction from Poland’s conservative authorities.
Although Ana Brnabic became Serbia’s first woman and first openly gay Prime Minister of Serbia in 2017, rights groups claim she has done little to further the rights of the Serbian LGBT community, which still faces widespread discrimination and often hostility.
Brnabic, 45, lives with her female partner, Milica Djurdjic, who gave birth in February 2019. Many in the LGBT community were more critical than supportive of this, as Serbia does not accept same-sex civil partnerships or allow children’s adoption by same-sex couples.
Serbia’s Ministry of Human and Minority Right in February proposed a draft law on same-sex union, but rights activists claim the bill contains significant errors and omissions.
Also, Serbian President Vucic said on May 1 that he will not sign the law even if parliament adopts it, since he says it is against the constitution. Rights activists claim the draft law is in accordance with the constitution since it does not mention marriage but only same-sex partnerships. Without the signature of the President, however, the law cannot enter into force.
