Tomašević: 100 years since the founding of the Little Entente

However, of key importance for the future of a country and the people, regardless of the many challenges that dictate positioning, is the timeless category of values ​​that includes nurturing a culture of memory and tradition, especially when the history of relations is such as in the case of Serbia and Romania. This relationship is based on respect, peaceful coexistence of our peoples and a history that is unencumbered by deep and insurmountable problems, which, as a rule, have been eroding neighborly relations in the Balkans for decades and centuries. Nevertheless, we belong to the generation that has the opportunity to substantially improve and strengthen bilateral relations between Serbia and Romania, develop cooperation in all areas and spheres and take additional steps towards bringing the Serbian and Romanian people closer, in order to permanently ensure a strategic partnership, which we should strive for together.

The Little Entente, as an urgent need, was created due to the danger of a torrent of revisionism in Europe after the First World War. The right to self-determination as a derivative of universal law, which was respected during the reconfiguration of Europe after the First World War, enabled the liberated peoples among the allies to secure themselves from potential threats of the same kind in the future, i.e., the yoke of invaders. However, it also became a dangerous weapon in the hands of those who wanted to regain what they had lost and to establish an imperialist regime that would not only allow those who were defeated in World War I to regain the lost territories and influence, but also to expand further, revolted by the results of the Paris Peace Conference, and eager for revenge. Such an order, in the years after the Great War, imposed an obligation of reflection, which, although undoubtedly proven through alliances such as the Little Entente, was still not enough to stop the awakened evil in its new attack. Serbia and Romania, undoubtedly facing the threat of survival, within the Little Entente alliance actually contributed to the protection of a free Europe and sided with those who would offer strong resistance to the mad revisionists, paying a high price together with other European nations, but at the same time making immortal the feat of a generation that triumphed over its contemporaries who were the embodiment of evil and insanity, who brought the world into the greatest temptation to date.

One century has passed since the formation of the Little Entente. Slightly less than 81 years have passed since the end of the Second World War. Serbia has always defended Europe without sparing itself. It paid in blood for its own and the freedom of other peoples', but at the end of the last century, 22 years ago, Serbia was bombed in a savage NATO aggression. In its bombing and devastation, beyond all reason and common sense, contrary to international law and without attacking or endangering anyone, in which thousands of lives were lost and irreparable material and non-material damage was caused, the allies and enemies of the First and Second World War participated directly and indirectly together. The descendants of those whose ancestors gave their lives in the fight for a free Europe, were victims of the descendants of the executioners of their ancestors with the tacit or direct support of some descendants of allies who allowed it or did almost nothing to prevent it. Given the frequency of events that have taken place in the recent past, which are in favor of neo-revisionism, and the fact that soft and hard effects on the breakdown of the healthy tissue and the devaluation of international law are still present and stronger than ever, it should be analyzed whether and what lessons were learned, that is, how quickly we forgot what we had forgiven many times. These are key questions, the answers to which could provide essential content for understanding the position we are in today, and thus the need for rapprochement in order to protect fundamental values, which we have defended together so many times. New times have undoubtedly brought new challenges in terms of the need for a common foreign and security policy of European countries, but there is no doubt that there is a persistent diversion of attention to visible and invisible, fabricated and real dangers and enemies, which affects moving away from unification in order to preserve regional interests and disintegrate and break down a healthy core that guarantees the protection of regional interests, which actually puts us in a serious risk zone of history repeating itself, only in a different scenario, but certainly with the same consequences for our peoples. Therefore, only partnership and alliance, which imply good coordination of countries, whose peoples have always shared the same space and destiny, are the only guarantees for the quality and security of life of future generations.

Serbia's perspective and its strategic goal is membership in the European Union, which, with all its shortcomings and problems it faces, continues to be the best community and a guarantor of further prosperity and progress of European states and peoples. Romania's support in the process of Serbia's integration into the EU is of immeasurable importance. Cooperation in this domain further contributes to the development of our bilateral relations, providing an opportunity to improve sectoral cooperation, especially in the fields of economy, culture, education, science and sports, but also defense. The European Union is not complete without Serbia, which qualitatively contributes to its wealth, with its history and culture on the one hand, and economically on the other, with its increased growth and development of its market and infrastructure, but also its security and resilience, since its toughness and strength in the struggle to protect the true values ​​inherited by the libertarian Europe is proven and attested.

The oldest preserved international agreement of Serbia is the one with Romania. The history of this relationship remembers the famous personalities of the two nations who immeasurably enriched and made our ties endless and immortal. The Dobrudja Front as a vow of ancestors, family ties, alliances and agreements, among other things, testify that the friendship between Serbia and Romania is older than all of us.

Source: New Timisoara Gazette

(100 years since the founding of the Little Entente – perspectives of unity and alliance of Serbia and Romania)