Von der Leyen: Now is moment for Serbia to get concrete about joining EU

BELGRADE - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday in Belgrade she had had an "open and frank discussion" with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and that now was the moment for Serbia to "get concrete" about joining the EU.

At a press conference with Vucic, von der Leyen said that, "almost two decades ago, Serbia made a choice to join our Union."

"It was not only a strategic choice. It was also a choice of the heart. It was the demand of the people of Serbia. We look forward to Serbia doubling down on its EU path," she said at the Palace of Serbia.

"Now is the moment for Serbia to get concrete about joining our Union. Therefore, we need to see progress, on the rule of law, the electoral framework and media freedom. I know these reforms are not easy. They take patience and endurance. They must include all parts of society and the political spectrum. But they are worth the effort. Because they move you closer to your goal," von der Leyen said.

"We live in a fractured world. With a widening gap between democracies and autocracies. You know very well where the EU stands. We stand for freedom instead of oppression, including the right of peaceful assembly. Partnership instead of submission. Diplomacy instead of aggression," she also said.

"The EU membership offer is an opportunity. It is the promise of peace. Of prosperity. And of solidarity. Especially in times of crisis. You have seen this in practice. Take the energy crisis of 2022. It was triggered by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. And it had a devastating impact across our entire continent. But we faced it together. The EU extended the same measures of solidarity to our Western Balkan partners as to our own member states. This is what it means to be a reliable partner. You can continue to count on us. We are connecting Serbia to the EU's energy market. This is the true guarantee that Serbian families will be safe and warm in winter. We have concrete projects in motion. The Trans-Balkan Power Corridor, for example, linking Serbia's grid with its neighbours and with the EU. And the Serbia–Bulgaria gas interconnector. And we are prepared to invest further in it. We also invited Serbia to join the EU's joint gas procurement mechanism. Together we are using our collective market power to secure better energy prices," von der Leyen said.

She noted that progress had been made on Serbia's unified electoral roll and the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) Council.

"I noticed the efforts made by all to work together including the civil society and the opposition. This is a good first step. Implementation is now key. This is why I am inviting you to Brussels to take stock together in a month from now. Second, we need to see greater alignment with our foreign policy, including on sanctions against Russia. I commend you for reaching 61 per cent of alignment with our foreign policy. But more is needed. We want to count on Serbia as a reliable partner," von der Leyen said.

"We know the EU path can be a long road. This is why we wanted to bring some of the benefits of future accession, already today. Such as access to the single market, for example. And more EU investments. This is the essence of our Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. Under the plan we have already made available over 100 mln euros in new EU investments for Serbia. And more will come. As part of the Growth Plan, you have created a monitoring committee. It includes representatives of the civil society organisations, whom I will meet later. And it includes the government. Such committee is a great signal. It creates trust, inclusiveness and ownership. This is the way to go.

Under the Growth Plan, we are also working on Serbia's integration into the Single Euro Payments Area. This will make transfers of money between Serbia and the EU faster, safer, and much cheaper. It will have a real impact on businesses and on your citizens – many of whom live and work in EU member states. It shows that Europe's commitment is not only in words, but also in deeds, real change on the ground. And we now look to Serbia to show same commitment, in deeds as well as in words," von der Leyen concluded.