Djuric: Serbia to redouble reform efforts, our goal is full EU membership

BELGRADE - Speaking to reporters after a meeting with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Friday Serbia's goal was full-fledged EU membership and that the country would redouble reform efforts to achieve that goal.

At a joint press conference with Barrot in Belgrade, Djuric noted that Serbia-France bilateral relations were seeing constant progress and were based on a close relationship between the two presidents and a strategic partnership whose 15th anniversary was being marked this year.

He noted that the past several years had seen a huge upsurge in French investments and that, with its French partners, Serbia was modernising its infrastructure, transport infrastructure, environmental projects, new technologies and the defence sector.

Djuric said he was pleased to be hosting a minister of a country that was enormously important for Serbia - politically, economically, culturally and historically - as well as its strategic partner.

He said there was also an exceptionally developed high-level political dialogue and added that the discussion with Barrot had also addressed all major issues, from further EU integration to global challenges.

Djuric said he had informed Barrot of the problems faced by Kosovo-Metohija Serbs, as well as of stepped-up pressure on them in 2025 and their current situation.

He also thanked France for its participation in EXPO 2027 Belgrade and said the French pavilion would definitely attract a large number of visitors.