During the first day of her visit to Serbia, the EU Commissioner held talks with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister Đuro Macut, Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Ana Brnabić, and the Minister for European Integration, Nemanja Starović. On the second day, she meet with students and members of the opposition. In addition to official meetings, she visited Novi Sad, where she paid tribute to the victims who died in the fall of the canopy at the Railway station.
From the four recommendations for Serbia if it wants to join the EU, through an analysis of what has been achieved so far on the path to European integration and what still needs to be done, to Belgrade's positions on these matters, the first day of European Commissioner for Enlargement Marte Kos's visit to Serbia was marked by numerous messages from both the EU official and Serbia’s top leadership.
Alongside the four points from the “plan for the Serbian people” highlighted and presented by the Enlargement Commissioner, there were also clear messages from Belgrade’s officials, who made it clear that Serbia is not abandoning its European path.
Following her meeting with the Prime Minister, Commissioner Kos stated that they discussed Serbia’s European journey and what needs to be done along the way.
"We presented our offer for the Serbian people to Prime Minister Macut, and it is as follows: work with us on reforms to make your membership possible. Work with us to establish an independent judiciary capable of effectively fighting corruption. Work with us on implementing laws and building institutions that will ensure free media where all opinions are represented. Work with us to establish an electoral framework that will ensure the will of the Serbian people is heard and that decisions are based on it," Kos said at the press conference, adding that this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to complete the unification of Europe.
Reactions from official Belgrade
While the Prime Minister declared that commitment to European integration is Serbia’s absolute priority, President Aleksandar Vučić emphasised Belgrade’s full readiness to speed up reforms - not because of bureaucratic demands, but because he believes they lead to a better life for citizens.
The President underlined Belgrade’s full readiness to accelerate reforms, not due to bureaucratic obligations, but because he believes they will bring tangible improvements to people's lives. He added that Serbia sees the Growth Plan as an opportunity to accelerate economic development, strengthen institutions, and bring the country closer to the European Union - not just politically, but in substance, through real benefits and standards that citizens can experience.
Prime Minister Đuro Macut stated that the government under his leadership would continue to push strongly ahead with the integration process.
"Serbia is among the countries with the longest-standing experience in joining the EU, and some of the elements that will be discussed—namely the acceleration of the process of opening new clusters, such as Cluster 3—will form the foundation of this government’s work," said Macut, adding that he hopes education will be one of the key elements in Kos’s visit to help establish dialogue.
Kos also met with the Speaker of the Parliament, Ana Brnabić, where she stated that the current moment presents an exceptional opportunity to complete the unification of Europe, considering the profound changes in the geopolitical climate. She expressed strong political will to work with the new Serbian government on implementing reforms that would enable EU membership, emphasising that the Republic of Serbia holds an important place in the enlargement process and represents a significant partner of the European Union.
Brnabić stated that EU membership remains the foreign policy goal of the Republic of Serbia, despite numerous challenges, and that Serbia will continue to implement all necessary reforms, primarily for the benefit of its citizens.
Meetings with students, the opposition, and visit Fondation Zoran Đinđić
On the second day of her visit, the Commissioner began by travelling to Novi Sad to pay tribute to the victims of the canopy collapse at the city’s railway station.
After that, the Commissioner is meeting with opposition representatives from 10 a.m., with a discussion scheduled later with parliamentary groups in the National Assembly of Serbia.
At the press conference on the first day of her visit to Belgrade, she also announced a meeting with Ružica Đinđić, the widow of the late Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić.
"He saw Serbia as an integral part of democratic and modern developed countries. However, the promotion of the European idea can sometimes be dangerous if there is no necessary energy and momentum. Therefore, I expect that the Serbian government will work together with us to realise the ideas that Đinđić spoke of," said Kos.
(EUpravo zato.rs)