Vucic to Mexico's Ambassador: Thanks for Not Recognizing Kosovo
President Aleksandar Vucic received Mexican Ambassador Carlos Felix Corona, marking 80 years of diplomatic ties and thanking Mexico for refusing to recognize Kosovo's independence.
- President Aleksandar Vucic received Mexican Ambassador Carlos Felix Corona in Belgrade on July 10.
- This year marks 80 years since Serbia and Mexico established diplomatic relations.
- Vucic thanked Mexico for its consistent respect for international law and its refusal to recognize Kosovo's independence.
- The two discussed bilateral relations, the geopolitical climate and ways to deepen cooperation.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received the Ambassador of the United Mexican States, Carlos Felix Corona, in Belgrade on July 10. The occasion was a round anniversary, eight decades since the two countries established diplomatic relations, but the conversation, according to sources at the presidency, quickly turned to the issue Belgrade keeps at the top of the list in every bilateral contact: the status of Kosovo.
Vucic thanked Ambassador Felix Corona for what he described as Mexico’s consistent respect for international law and its refusal to recognize the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo. Mexico is one of the countries that has held, since 2008, to the principled position that borders should not change without the consent of both sides, and Belgrade regularly cites that stance as an example of diplomatic support.
Why does every vote against recognition matter to Serbia?
The answer lies in arithmetic. For years Pristina has run a campaign for new recognitions and for membership in international organizations, and each new recognition, or each withdrawal of an earlier one, shifts a balance of power measured not in weapons but in numbers. Serbia therefore counts every country that holds to its refusal, and Mexico, as one of Latin America’s largest economies and a G20 member, carries weight that goes well beyond a single entry on a list.
Latin America has long been a region of steady support for Serbian diplomacy. Most countries in the region have never recognized Kosovo, and Belgrade cultivates that backing through regular visits, economic agreements and symbolic gestures such as this year’s anniversary with Mexico. Eight decades of relations is no small matter. The tie was established back in 1946 and stands as one of Mexico’s oldest diplomatic threads with this part of Europe.
For his part, Ambassador Felix Corona stressed that Mexico is committed to further strengthening cooperation with Serbia. According to the statement, the two also discussed the current geopolitical climate and concrete opportunities to expand political, economic and cultural exchange.
What remains once the flags are put away?
Behind the protocol of every such meeting sits the question of what survives once the flags and cameras are put away. In Mexico’s case, what remains is continuity. Unlike some countries that have adjusted their position on Kosovo according to the political moment, Mexico has stayed on the same line for decades, and it was precisely that consistency Vucic singled out as the most valuable part of the relationship.
The economic dimension, however, remains below its potential. Trade between the two countries is modest relative to the size of the Mexican market, and every high-level meeting opens room to correct that imbalance. Whether the anniversary year will bring concrete agreements or stay at the level of goodwill will become clear in the coming months.
For Serbian foreign policy, the message from this meeting is plain. At a time when pressure on the Kosovo question is not easing, every reaffirmation of a previously held position has value, and Mexico has given that reaffirmation again. The open question is whether a more tangible economic bridge will be built behind the diplomatic courtesy.
Do you think Serbia makes enough of the support it enjoys in Latin America?
