Serbia🏛️ PoliticsCenter21 hr. ago☆Follow⤓CiteShare

Vučić: I am not optimistic that there will be a new enlargement of the European Union soon

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić stated at the Conference of Heads of Parliaments of Candidate Countries for EU membership that he is not optimistic about rapid membership for any of the candidate countries. He emphasized that Western Balkan countries still lack free movement of goods, people, and capital, and noted that while the European path remains important, significant EU expansions are unlikely in the coming years. Vučić acknowledged ongoing conflicts from the 1990s and stressed the importance of mutual relations among Balkan states. In response to Ukraine’s President Rusten Stefančuk’s call for candidate countries to be partners rather than competitors, Vučić admitted divisions persist but expressed openness to dialogue. He praised Ukraine’s resilience and suggested Europe could benefit from Ukraine’s development. Vučić also mentioned his hope for resolving the ongoing dispute between Hungarian company MOL and Serbian state oil company NIS regarding Russian ownership, emphasizing the complexity of negotiations.