State Sovereignty in the Light of Spheres of Influence – a Case Study of Two States: the Republic of Serbia, and Montenegro
State Sovereignty in the Light of Spheres of Influence – a Case Study of Two States: the Republic of Serbia, and Montenegro

Summary/Abstract: The paper makes an attempt to determine whether in a situation where a given statefinds itself in a sphere of influence – which is understood here as, inter alia, establishingcontacts with other states – it is still possible to maintain its full sovereignty, or whetherany form of external influence, despite the voluntarily established contacts, even on thebasis of working out a consensus, actually limits the weaker states in particular. Two countrieshave been taken into consideration: the Republic of Serbia, and Montenegro, withmajor emphasis on the bilateral cooperation they have established with countries suchas Russia, the US, Germany, Turkey, and China. The analysis that has been conducted confirmsthe assumption that both Serbia and Montenegro are of great interest to the abovelisted countries: this is true not only because they are conomically weak countries thatcan be easily subordinated, but also, and perhaps above all, because their location is extremelyprofitable and of strategic significance. What is particularly worth emphasising isthe fact that both in Serbia and in Montenegro, the interests of the most important countriesof the world clash. This means that Serbia and Montenegro are not only not fully independentstates, despite the acts of independence they have announced, but also thatthey are in fact “object of interests” for a number of “foreign” players, a situation that mayultimately lead to a threat to security in the Balkan region.

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