Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Serbia on Tuesday evening, escorted by MIG-29 jets, in a visit that coincides with the 25th anniversary of NATO’s bombing of the Chinese embassy, which killed three Chinese journalists. Belgrade, after France, is the second stop on Xi’s first visit to Europe in five years, which also includes Hungary. In Serbia, which is considered China’s most important partner in the Balkans, Xi is expected to discuss China’s multibillion-dollar investments in the country and possible new deals. According to analysts, Xi’s choice for Serbia and Hungary is aimed at bringing together two European countries favorable to Russia and major recipients of Chinese investments. Serbia’s Western partners see the country as a Chinese hub on the EU’s doorstep. We talk about it with Stefano Giantin, a freelance journalist connected from Belgrade, who covers the Balkans and central-eastern Europe and collaborates with Ansa Nuova Europa and with Il Piccolo di Trieste. | North Macedonia’s conservative party will return to power after seven years, scoring major victories in Wednesday’s parliamentary and presidential elections. The outcome is expected to further complicate North Macedonia’s long-standing ambition to join the European Union, as well as its relations with neighbors Bulgaria and Greece. We talk about it with Ivan Vejvoda, director of the Europa project at the Vienna Institute of Humanities, and former executive director of the Balkan Trust. | The 20th edition of the Vicino/Lontano Festival has begun in Udine and will end on May 12th and, from its 1st edition, includes the Tiziano Terzani International Literary Prize. The key word this year is “metamorphosis”, to indicate the many metamorphoses of an era in search of new balances. We talk about it with Franca Rigoni, curator of the Vicino/Lontano Festival together with Paola Colombo and Alen Loreti. Marina Lalovic at the microphones.
09 May 2024
