Djuric: EU Membership a priority for Serbia, necessary to continue dialogue

Foreign Minister Marko Djuric stated that Serbia will be ready to become a full member of the European Union by 2027. Regarding Kosovo, Djuric said that it is necessary to continue the dialogue with EU mediation, but also that the new Commission "must make a careful and wise decision" on how it intends to approach the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina in the future, reports Beta.

"Our strategic positioning and the path we are on is full membership in the European Union. Serbia will complete all essential reforms—political, institutional, economic, and legal—by 2027. And it will be ready to become part of the European family," Djuric said in an interview with the Italian agency Nova.

He warned, however, that full membership also implies "complete and equal access to electoral rights and decision-making processes," as well as shared duties and responsibilities.

"In other words, we are not willing to be the European Puerto Rico," Djuric added.

The minister also emphasized that Serbia has been closely following the results of the EU elections and that the new composition of the European Parliament is "certainly an opportunity to build a new network of friends."

"Obviously, there were many people who were not politically aligned with us in the previous assembly. Now we want to take advantage of the potential of the new circumstances and actively continue building relationships," he said, expressing hope that the process of expanding to the Western Balkans will return to the center of attention of European institutions.

Djuric assessed that EU membership would not only benefit Serbia.

"The Union itself will strengthen, as it will have an additional economy, a stable and fast-growing economy, as well as the strategic position that our country occupies in the southeastern quadrant of Europe," he said.

Presenting him as the new head of diplomacy, Nova agency writes that Djuric's program manifesto can be summarized with the words—follow strategic goals while respecting fundamental national interests and break inherited prejudices from the 1990s to present Serbia as it is today.

"We want to represent Serbia as a country of the future, perspective, new technologies, with a stable economy that continues to grow. As a country capable of being a solid partner in all sectors and committed to peace, stability, and respect for international law," Djuric said.

He added that the image of Serbia created in the 1990s no longer exists.

"We need to eliminate the prejudices inherited from the past and show our country as it is today," he stated.

He also pointed out that "Serbia can boast friendships dating back to the time of the Non-Aligned Movement, with countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America," which, he added, will be a strong contribution to the EU as well.

However, some of Serbia's "historical friendships" currently represent a point of friction between Belgrade and Brussels, Nova points out, adding that according to many observers, the refusal to impose sanctions on Russia threatens to slow down the process of European integration.

Djuric responds by reminding that Serbia has voted for all UN resolutions in favor of Ukraine's territorial integrity since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

"Serbia is committed to peace and a ceasefire. We try to express solidarity with the Ukrainian people: we understand their suffering well, as we had to face difficult times ourselves in the 1990s. I would like to emphasize that 93% of all aid sent to Ukraine from the Western Balkans comes from Serbia. Ukraine is a friendly country to us, which respects our territorial integrity and national sovereignty," he underlined, but added that due to its specific circumstances on this issue, Serbia does not have the same foreign policy as EU member states.

"Serbia can boast traditionally good and friendly relations with both countries involved in the conflict. Russia not only did not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, but also supports Serbia's stance on several other issues. Serbia will use every opportunity to call for peace, hoping that the armed conflict will end as soon as possible," Djuric said.

Regarding Kosovo, Djuric stated that it is necessary to continue the dialogue with EU mediation, but also that the new Commission "must make a careful and wise decision" on how it intends to approach the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina in the future.

"They need to decide whether it will be directly led by someone like the new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas or whether a new special representative with real support and a strong mandate from the member states will be appointed," Djuric concluded.