Von der Leyen revealed the condition of Serbia's accession to the EU
For Serbia to make further progress on joining the European Union (EU), Belgrade must join the anti-Russian sanctions. This was stated on October 15 by the head of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen at a meeting with Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic.
"The second point on this path [Serbia's accession to the EU] is that we need to achieve greater coherence in our foreign policy, including with regard to sanctions against Russia," she said, broadcasting the meeting posted on the EC's YouTube channel.
Von der Leyen also called the process of Serbia's accession to the EU long and demanding, but thanked Belgrade for 61% compliance with the EU's foreign policy. Nevertheless, according to her, Serbia must take more steps to integrate into the union.
"We want to count on Serbia as a reliable partner," she stressed.
In response, Vucic stated that joining the EU remains a strategic goal and a priority of the country's foreign policy.
"Membership in the European Union is Serbia's strategic aspiration and a priority of our foreign policy, and this, of course, will not change before the next elections and, I think, even after them," he stressed.
In conclusion, Vucic added that Belgrade is counting on the support of the European Union in matters of energy security.
On October 11, the Serbian president noted that the country's European integration process is slowing down due to the fact that it refuses to impose sanctions against Russia, with which it intends to cooperate openly. Vucic pointed out Serbia's desire for honest cooperation with the Russian Federation, and therefore, despite calls from former President of the Council of the European Union (EU) Charles Michel to stop flights with Moscow, Belgrade continues to support flights with Russian cities to this day.
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