The International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES[1]), based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, regularly monitors key geopolitical developments in the Middle East, the Balkans and worldwide. In this context, we present an exclusive contribution by Bogoljub J. Karić, a prominent philanthropist, visionary and inspirational figure, in which he sets out his geopolitical vision and strategic reflections on Serbia’s future within the emerging global order. His analysis, entitled “Serbia’s C5+ strategic proposal: entering a new global architecture through the C5+ partnership”, advances a vision of Serbia as an active and relevant partner of the world’s leading powers – the United States, the Russian Federation, China, India and Japan. The article provides insight into Serbia’s long-term strategic positioning and its potential role within the geopolitical architecture of the 21st century.
The world is facing the most profound geopolitical transformation since the end of the Second World War. The prevailing architecture of international relations, long anchored in the dominance of transatlantic structures and the central role of the European Union, is entering a phase of accelerated and extensive rearticulation. The new US National Security Strategy (NSS), as reaffirmed by statements from senior government officials, clearly indicates that the global order is increasingly being shaped around a limited number of key powers, while former centres of decision-making are gradually losing their previous influence.
Drawing on many years of sustained engagement in the pursuit of viable solutions for peace, stability and prosperity, I endorse the core elements of this new strategic doctrine. As a concrete expression of this support, I have addressed an initiative to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, proposing the inclusion of countries from Eastern Europe and the Balkans in future European expansions of the C5+ framework.
Against this backdrop, the Republic of Serbia is, for the first time in decades, presented with a historic opportunity to redefine its international standing strategically, sustainably and in a sovereign manner. Building on my experience in international cooperation, business diplomacy and the search for sustainable solutions to global stability challenges, I put forward a strategic framework for Serbia’s entry into the new global architecture through the C5+ partnership.
The emerging global configuration, centred on the C5 format, brings together five key actors in the contemporary world: the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of India and Japan.
This format establishes a realistic and operational framework for future global governance, encompassing the political, security, technological and economic dimensions of international relations. Within this model, the European Union no longer occupies a central and singular decision-making role, while certain European states are afforded the opportunity, through flexible C5+ arrangements, to establish direct and strategically relevant partnerships with the world’s key powers.
Serbia is a militarily neutral state with a unique geopolitical and civilisational position. Its deep-rooted historical, cultural and religious ties with Russia, well-developed political and economic relations with the United States, a strategic partnership with the People’s Republic of China, and expanding cooperation with India and Japan collectively position Serbia as a natural and logical candidate for inclusion in the C5+ format.
This strategic position is not a result of current circumstances, but reflects continuity in historical ties and a deliberate, forward-looking state policy. The efforts that the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has invested for more than a decade in building direct relations with key global actors now call for institutional framing and transformation into durable, long-term strategic outcomes.
For nearly half a century, Serbia has been bound, in one form or another, to the European integration process. However, objective realities suggest that the European Union is currently grappling with deep internal crises – political divisions, sluggish economic growth, the absence of a clear enlargement vision, and a weakening of its global influence.
In such circumstances, Serbia finds itself in a vacuum that no longer represents a weakness but rather a potential advantage. The crucial question today is not whether Serbia should cooperate with Europe – that is beyond dispute – but whether it can afford to continue a strategy of prolonged waiting without a clear offer and a defined timeframe. The answer is evident: the future of younger generations must not be held hostage to uncertainty.
At present, Serbia stands at the intersection of the interests of key global actors in the Balkans. The United States is seeking strong, autonomous and dependable partners in Europe, unencumbered by excessive mediation from Brussels. The Russian Federation strives for stability in the Balkans and the preservation of historical ties with the Serbian people, while the People’s Republic of China views Serbia as a pivotal infrastructural and logistical hub within the Belt and Road Initiative.
This unique constellation enables Serbia to simultaneously assume the role of a US geopolitical pillar in the region, a historical and cultural partner of Russia, and an economic and infrastructural centre for China. Such a strategic configuration confers a degree of influence and leverage that no other state in the Balkans currently enjoys.
The new US doctrine promotes direct and transparent relations, strong leadership, and states characterised by internal stability and a predictable foreign policy strategy. Serbia fully aligns with this concept. As the largest and most stable country in the Western Balkans, with well-developed state institutions and a clearly articulated development vision, Serbia is a natural and reliable partner of the United States in South-Eastern Europe.
In light of profound global changes, Serbia should transition from a policy of waiting to one of active and proactive positioning. This entails: establishing a direct strategic dialogue with the United States within the framework of the new global doctrine; further reinforcing relations with the Russian Federation on the foundations of historical trust; deepening economic, technological and infrastructural partnerships with China; strengthening ties with India and Japan as key Asian pillars of future global growth; and consolidating Serbia as a centre of stability, development and cooperation in the Balkans.
Throughout its history, Serbia has always endured when it made rational, courageous and independent decisions. Today, it faces a choice that will shape the decades to come. The C5+ partnership does not represent a departure from Europe, but rather a break with the illusion that the future can be built exclusively on promises without a clear timeframe.
This is a path of strategic partnership. This is a path of stability and peace. This is the path of Serbia as a responsible and reliable actor in the new global architecture.
This is the path to the future.
About the author
Bogoljub J. Karić, born in 1954 in Peć/Peja, holds a degree in geography from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Priština and a master’s degree from the Faculty of Economics in Niš. Together with his family, he founded the company “Braća Karić”. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has built a global company operating in telecommunications, construction, finance, education, media and trade.
Karić is a member of the IFIMES Advisory Board, President of the international “Nikola Tesla” Committee, an expert of the United Nations Sustainable Development Programme, a member of the UN Global Marketplace and the AI for Good programme, a pioneer of capitalism in Yugoslavia and Gorbachev-era Russia, as well as a visionary, builder, philanthropist and architect of a new global economic order.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official position of IFIMES.
Ljubljana/Beograd, 17 December 2025
[1] IFIMES - International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies, based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, has a special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council ECOSOC/UN in New York since 2018, and it is the publisher of the international scientific journal "European Perspectives." Available at: https://www.europeanperspectives.org/en
