Brnabic: Serbia aspires to enter EU as confident partner

BUDAPEST - Serbia aspires to enter the EU not as a country that is desperate for support, but as a confident partner, ready to contribute to its shared future, Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic said at a Conference of Speakers of the European Union in Budapest on Monday.

"On behalf of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, I reaffirm our readiness to build this future together," Brnabic said at a panel discussion on regionalism in Europe and preservation of Europe's cultural identity.

Noting that clusters in the EU accession talks were not just "administrative categories" but also a "roadmap to the European Union", Brnabic said Cluster 3 on competitiveness and inclusive growth was not only about the economy, but also about building "a society worth staying in."

"In line with the European Commission's repeated positive assessments, we expect to open this cluster in the near future, and I would like to use this opportunity to ask you for your help and support," Brnabic said.

"Cluster 4 on the green agenda and sustainable connectivity is not just about energy, but a vision of sustainable development. The green agenda is not merely about environmental policy, it is a moral choice about the world we leave to future generations," she said.

"In Cluster 1, we are not building foundations on paper, but on institutional integrity. Educating our youth on democratic values and cultural awareness is key to sustaining both identity and unity in the generations to come. The future of Europe must be shaped not only in decision-making centres such as Brussels or Strasbourg, but also in places where European values live in the everyday lives of our citizens," she said.