Vucic: Serbia greatly dependent on EU, cannot move forward without it

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday Serbia was greatly dependent on the EU and could not move forward without it.

Vucic said this after a ceremony of signing a financial agreement on a 165 mln euro package of EU assistance to Serbia in the energy sector.

"I just want people to know Serbia is greatly dependent on the EU and that Serbia can hardly move forward without the EU, or not at all, and that those who are presenting possibilities for finding great and life-saving alternative paths do not speak the truth and are unfair to their citizens," Vucic said at the national dispatch centre of power grid operator EMS.

Vucic said that, even though he sometimes responded fiercely to the EU on behalf of Serbian citizens, he must always know well what was pushing Serbia forward and giving jobs to young people and bringing them a future.

He noted that two EU energy assistance packages for the Western Balkans would total 1 bln euros.

"We believe it is important not only to continue the cooperation with the EU, but also to accelerate progress on the EU path, work on rule of law and further democratisation of society and on everything that means better life to Serbian citizens. It is important that we have around 2 bln euros of FDI from EU states. Also, every year we attract over 60 pct of the total investments in the entire Western Balkans. Our goods trade with the EU amounted to nearly 40 bln euros, which is a 27.7 pct increase compared to 2021, and accounts for 59 pct of our overall goods trade with the world," Vucic said.