The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received an official protest from the Ukrainian embassy in Serbia, requesting that the representative office of the Drugaya Ukraina (Another Ukraine) NGO, led by Viktor Medvedchuk, cease its operations. Viktor Medvedchuk, a wealthy Ukrainian businessman and close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is currently residing in Russia after being exchanged for a prisoner.
Details: The Ukrainian embassy in Belgrade, on December 5, 2023, formally communicated with Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, urging the discontinuation of operations by the representative office of Drugaya Ukraina (Another Ukraine) NGO. The basis for this request was the violation of Article 29 of the Serbian law on business entities, which explicitly prohibits the inclusion of a foreign state’s name in a legal entity’s official name without proper consent. This diplomatic action underscores the importance of adhering to legal norms and respect for national sovereignty, fostering a commitment to international legal principles in the conduct of cross-border organizational activities.
Danas was informed by the Ukrainian embassy that while the closure of this representative office is still a legal matter, there is also a political component to it.
The embassy noted that Serbia, as a prospective European Union member, aligns with the EU’s condemnation of the brutal war against Ukraine. In solidarity with 140 other nations, the EU has officially designated Russia as an aggressor nation. This context highlights the diplomatic and geopolitical considerations shaping the embassy’s request to cease operations of Drugaya Ukraina NGO in compliance with Serbian legal stipulations.
“It is a shame to say that attempts by certain political forces to implement an anti-Ukrainian scenario and promote the spread of dirty provocations by [Viktor Medvechyk] to whose daughter international criminal Putin is a godfather,” the Ukrainian Embassy responded in a statement.
“At a time when Ukraine is bleeding to death, trying to consolidate the efforts of the international community and create a platform for restoring World law and order and peaceful coexistence within the framework of the Peace Formula of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” the embassy continued, it is especially unpleasant to talk about.”
Regarding the appeal made by the Ukrainian embassy to have the Drugaya Ukraina NGO abolished, its leader, Dragan Stanojević, stated that the organization was established under Serbian legislation.
Background:
- After Viktor Medvedchuk, a former Ukrainian politician, was charged with treason following his exchange to Russia, the Drugaya Ukraina (Another Ukraine) NGO was established. By the end of 2023, it was discovered that branches of the organization had been registered in Serbia.
- The head of the organization’s division is now Dragan Stanojević, a candidate for the Serbian parliament who openly supports Russian aggression. He was chosen to represent the We Are the Voice of the People party in the Serbian parliament in December 2023.
- Over twenty prominent European diplomats specializing in foreign policy demanded that the heads of EU institutions look into claims of electoral fraud in Serbia in December.
Summary
- The Ukrainian embassy in Serbia requests the closure of Drugaya Ukraina (Another Ukraine) NGO, led by Viktor Medvedchuk.
- The request was made in line with Article 29 of Serbian law on business entities, which prohibits the use of a foreign state’s name in a legal entity’s official name without consent.
- The embassy argues that Serbia is a potential EU member, denouncing the brutal war against Ukraine and identifying Russia as an aggressor nation.
- The embassy criticizes attempts by political forces to implement an anti-Ukrainian scenario and promote dirty provocations.
- The leader of the organization, Dragan Stanojević, argues that the organization was established under Serbian legislation.
- The embassy’s appeal has sparked a demand from over twenty European diplomats for EU institutions to investigate claims of electoral fraud in Serbia.
