Đurić with European Leaders in Rome: "The Goal is for All Western Balkan Countries to Join the EU by 2030"

European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, said in Rome that it is more important than ever for the Western Balkans to move closer to the European Union.

Serbia's Foreign Minister, Marko Đurić, also participated in the event and emphasised the importance of global and regional initiatives and Serbia's commitment to the EU integration process, noting that Serbia’s main challenge remains the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. Speaking about Serbia's dedication to the EU integration process, Đurić reminded that in the past two and a half years, serious reforms have begun, including the adoption of numerous legal reforms.

The Serbian Foreign Minister highlighted the significance of the entire process, as the government officially set 31 December 2026 as the deadline to implement all legal, political, and other legislative reforms to align with EU standards.

"I think this is good news for Serbia, and I believe it could also be good news for Europe," Đurić stressed.

According to him, Serbia has also taken over the presidency of the Central European Initiative (CEI) this year, pointing out that it will use this opportunity to foster regional connectivity and improve infrastructure. "We welcome the appointment of Peter Sorensen, whose role we will strongly support. In the coming days, I will meet with him and try to encourage an approach where confidence-building measures are at the centre of attention. I believe we can strengthen the work on implementing agreements already reached and other commitments undertaken, while also finding something new that would be beneficial for both sides," said the Minister.

Opening cluster 3 is very significant

In his discussion with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, Đurić said that full EU membership remains Serbia's foreign policy priority and emphasised that Belgrade is a credible partner for Brussels.

He expressed hope that joint efforts would overcome the stagnation in Serbia’s EU accession progress and stressed that the early opening of Cluster 3 would be very significant, as it would provide an additional impetus for implementing all necessary reforms by the end of 2026. He also added that the EU remains Serbia’s top economic partner, by far, on all fronts. Regarding Kosovo and Metohija, Đurić thanked Kallas for his willingness to personally engage in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

Kaja Kallas: The Western Balkans is part of the European family

"The Western Balkans is part of the European family," said Kaja Kallas.

She stressed at the conference that she had highlighted the common security perspective with the Western Balkans in Rome and expressed hope that real progress would be made towards EU enlargement in the next five years, based on reform progress.

"Our security is inseparable. Our cooperation is crucial. Today in Rome, I emphasised this shared security perspective and our hope for real progress in the next five years on EU enlargement, based on progress in reforms," said Kallas.

Tajani: The goal is for all Western Balkan countries to join the EU by 2030

Italy’s Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, stated at the meeting that the goal is for all Western Balkan countries to join the EU by 2030.

"It may take longer for Bosnia and Herzegovina, but Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia have the potential to meet these deadlines," Tajani said.

He emphasised that the goal of the meeting is to accelerate the accession of non-EU member states, as reported by Ansa.

"For Italy, not only the political aspect is of interest, but also the economic one," Tajani added.