Macut: Regional unity more important than ever amid global geopolitical uncertainty

SOFIA - Addressing a South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) summit in Sofia, Serbian PM Djuro Macut said on Wednesday that, in a world of geopolitical uncertainty, regional unity was more important than ever and that Serbia remained committed to strengthening regional cooperation in confronting common challenges, including organised crime, irregular migration, cyber threats, hybrid risks, natural disasters and other emergencies that were increasingly reaching beyond national borders.

"The 30 years of SEECP have demonstrated a simple but important lesson: that progress is achieved through partnership and dialogue, not through isolation and division. Serbia will remain a reliable and constructive partner in all regional initiatives that contribute to peace, stability, sustainable development and greater connectivity," a government statement quoted Macut as saying.

"The challenges ahead remind us that the work of building a stable and prosperous South-East Europe is not yet complete," Macut noted, adding that Serbia views regional cooperation "as one of the key pillars of its foreign policy and remains committed to strengthening good neighbourly relations, improving dialogue and supporting initiatives that bring concrete benefits to citizens."

Macut said that "stronger regional economic ties are not just an economic goal, but also represent a strategic investment in the region’s long-term stability and resilience."

"We need to continue building a region in which goods, services, capital, knowledge and people move more freely, in which companies can grow across borders, and in which innovation, research and entrepreneurship receive additional support," he said.

"The Prime Minister also said that Serbia remains fully committed to its European path and to implementing reforms that accelerate its economic integration into the European Union’s single market.

The Prime Minister also pointed out that the European Commission has once again confirmed that Cluster 3 is technically ready for opening, expressing his belief that its opening would provide additional momentum to Serbia’s EU accession process and strengthen the country’s contribution to the European Economic Area."

Serbia supports innovative approaches aimed at gradually including candidate countries in certain EU policies, programmes and institutional frameworks even before full membership, Macut said.

Serbia would consider EU membership acceptable even without the right of veto, if it ensured access to the single market and free movement of goods, people and capital, he also said.