"There is no enlargement of the European Union without the Western Balkans," said the MEP and Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Serbia, Loucas Fourlas, following the plenary session in Strasbourg.
Speaking about relations between Belgrade and Brussels, he stressed that, despite the challenges, Serbia’s European perspective remains open and that obstacles on that path must be overcome, he told EUpravo Zato.
Fourlas said that, following talks with representatives of the National Assembly of Serbia, relations between Serbia and the European Union remain an important topic and that there is willingness to continue working on European integration.
According to him, the doors of the European Union remain open to Serbia, and he will, as he said, do everything in his power to ensure that remains the case.
"I know we have difficulties, but we must overcome all obstacles in order to have a clear path for Serbia towards the European Union," Loucas Fourlas told our portal.
He reiterated his position that Serbia is an indispensable factor in the enlargement process, saying that "there is no enlargement without Serbia in the Western Balkans".
Fourlas stressed that it is necessary to continue dialogue and work on resolving open issues so that Serbia’s European path remains clear and achievable, despite the challenges faced by both Belgrade and Brussels.
The Cypriot MEP maintained his earlier position that "there is no enlargement without Serbia", which he previously described in an interview for our portal as necessary for strengthening the entire European region. He also pointed to the strategic importance of the Western Balkans, stressing that Serbia’s integration would contribute to stronger alignment with EU values and limit external influences that undermine European unity.
"Enlargement is key to strengthening regional peace and cooperation, as well as promoting economic growth and attracting investment. Given current geopolitical challenges, the European Union cannot afford instability. Serbia’s accession would further strengthen the EU’s role as a global actor and send a message that European integration remains a strategic path for countries committed to reforms, democracy and the rule of law," he said at the time for our portal.
There is room for progress in the negotiations
In the same context of discussing Serbia's European path, the co-chair of the EU–Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC), Milimir Vujadinović, said that there is room for progress in the negotiations.
In a statement for our portal, he said that progress in the form of opening new clusters and chapters in the coming weeks could be expected, noting that the process does not depend solely on Serbia, but also on the broader political context and decisions of all parties involved in the negotiations.
"The fact is that there are conditions for opening some new clusters and chapters in the negotiations between Serbia and the European Union in the coming weeks. Of course, this does not depend only on Serbia, but based on everything we have seen, we expect such a scenario," he said following the session in Strasbourg.
(EUpravo zato)