Djuric: Momentum of enlargement in W Balkans higher due to difficult circumstances in EU

BRUSSELS - Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Wednesday evening that, due to difficult global circumstances within the EU, the momentum of the bloc's enlargement in the Western Balkans was slightly higher, representing a good opportunity for Serbia.

"That gives us a good opportunity to achieve some of our goals in that domain," Djuric said after an informal dinner hosted in Brussels by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and other EU officials for EU and Western Balkan FMs.

He said the atmosphere at the meeting had been good and moderately optimistic.

Djuric added that it had also been a good opportunity for Serbia to present its economic and reform potentials and the additional work it had done in the past two or three months to accelerate European reforms and strengthen the overall capacities of Serbian society.

"The situation in Ukraine was a dominant topic, as was a growing awareness among member states that Europe needs to strengthen its cohesion, strengthen the degree of its unity and that, therefore, the inclusion of the countries of our region into European frameworks needs to be accelerated," Djuric said.

He said there was also an increased awareness of a need to strengthen infrastructure in the region, as well as to bolster regional ties and goodneighbourly cooperation.

"This was a good opportunity for us to present our strengths and our potential and why we deserve an equal place and equal treatment alongside large European states," Djuric said.