Greece–Serbia relations

Greek–Serbian relations

Greece	Serbia

Greek–Serbian relations have traditionally been friendly due to cultural, religious and historical factors. Serbs and Greeks are followers of the Eastern Orthodox Church and were bound by alliance treaties and co-belligerence in wars since the Middle Ages. Friendly relations have played an important role in bilateral relations between the two nations, especially in modern history: during the revolutions against the Ottoman Empire, the Balkan Wars, the World Wars and Yugoslav wars. During the NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia, Greece was the only NATO member to condemn the actions and openly expressed its disapproval; polls revealed that 94% of the Greek population were completely opposed to the bombing. Also, Greece is one of the five European Union's member states that have refused to recognize the Kosovo Unilateral Declaration of Independence, backing the Serbian stance on this issue. As a strong supporter of the EU Candidate of Serbia, Greece has proposed the "Agenda 2014" for boosting the integration of all the Western Balkan states into the Union. Greece is the third top investor from the EU to Serbia and the fifth overall (as of 2013).

Greece and Serbia both share a similar Byzantine heritage, as both were a part of it. Both nations are Eastern Orthodox Christian. Acknowledging this cultural heritage, former vice-president of Republika Srpska, Dragan Dragic, stated that Serbs' roots stem from Hellenic civilization and that the two peoples are united through Orthodoxy. Some Greek politicians have, likewise, expressed these sentiments. Secretary General for European Affairs Dimitrios K. Katsoudas, in an address regarding Serbia, stated that "Greece and Serbia are two countries linked by ancient and inextricable bonds. Our relationship is lost in the depths of time. Serbian culture and religion were greatly influenced by our common roots in the great civilization of Byzantium."

During the Early Middle Ages, Serbia was a subject of the Byzantine Empire. The ethnogenesis of Serbs began in the Byzantine-Slavic environment, part of the wider Byzantine commonwealth. In the 11th and 12th centuries, the Serbs began fighting for independence, revolting against the Byzantines. In the following centuries, Serbia's independence was recognized by the Byzantines, and the two were mostly in friendly relations. The Serbs aided the Byzantines at the Battle of Sirmium (1167) and Battle of Gallipoli (1312). Most of the Serbian queen consorts were Byzantine women (such as Eudokia Angelina, Simonida, Maria Palaiologina, Irene Kantakouzene, Helena Palaiologina). Manuel I of Constantinople recognized Sava as the first Archbishop of the Serbs. Hilandar on Mount Athos became one of the most important cultural and religious centres of the Serbian people. Some Byzantine families found refuge in Serbia at the end of the 14th and early 15th century, following Ottoman conquests, such as the Angeloi and Kantakouzenos; notable statesmen in the Serbian Despotate of Greek origin include Janja Kantakouzenos, Dimitrije Kantakuzin and Mihailo Anđelović. The two last Byzantine Emperors were of Serbian maternal descent.

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