Vucic: EU membership our strategic commitment, I asked for exemption from steel import tariffs

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday EU membership was Serbia's strategic commitment and a foreign policy priority, and that this would not change until the next elections.

"I believe it will not change after that, either," he said at a press conference after a tete-a-tete meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

He said he had presented to von der Leyen a letter requesting that Serbia be exempted from EU steel import tariffs.

"I believe the European Commission will find a way to facilitate the status of (EU membership) candidate countries and make things easier for them. The winter will not be easy for us - we have secured large oil and gas reserves, but it will be a tough winter politically. We will be cooperating closely with the EU," Vucic said.