Vucic: Everyone from the Western Balkans belongs in the EU, all should join together

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said today that everyone from the Western Balkans belongs in the European Union and that all should join it together.

Speaking at the regional UK–Western Balkans business conference “Building Futures” in Belgrade, Vucic said it is important for everyone to understand that a united Balkans can exist within the EU framework.

"I believe that everyone from the Western Balkans belongs in the EU, that we should all join the Union together. We should have open borders, because in that way we will overcome all political borders. It is extremely important that we all be together in the EU and understand that a united Balkans can exist within the framework of the Union, as well as that we can contribute the most when we work together," the Serbian President stressed.

He noted that Serbia is ready to participate in all projects that would contribute to better regional connectivity.

"You know how much energy I have invested in building infrastructure, how much we wanted to connect with everyone in the region, to create a unified system of infrastructural communication, to ensure a better life for people across the entire region. We have succeeded in some things, in many we have not. There were always some political obstacles," Vucic explained.

He admitted that he would like to see the construction of a high-speed railway from Belgrade to Bijeljina to Tuzla.

"In that case, if trains were to travel at 200 kilometers per hour, it would take us an hour and a half to reach Tuzla, less than from Tuzla to Sarajevo. I will not even begin to talk about how important it is to develop infrastructure toward North Macedonia and Albania," he said.

He pointed out that Serbia has always had underdeveloped infrastructure toward Bosnia and Herzegovina, as if someone wanted there to be no connections after the First and Second World Wars, and everything was tied to Zagreb.

Speaking about the United Kingdom, he said it is no coincidence that the country is at the top in many fields and that this stems from its schools and education system.

"That is something we must discuss in the future with our partners from the United Kingdom, how we can work more to be as prepared as possible for new technologies and artificial intelligence."

He added that Serbia will always act seriously and responsibly, safeguard peace and stability, and strive to grow even faster together with neighbors and friends in the region.

On NIS: Geopolitics has become geobusiness, I will ask American partners for a license so the refinery can continue operating

Responding to journalists’ questions regarding NIS, Vucic announced that talks with American partners are expected in the next two or three days and that he will personally ask the relevant US authorities for a license so that the Pancevo refinery can continue operating.

"Will we succeed, we will see, so far we have not…", Vucic noted.

He reminded that NIS is owned by a Russian state company, 56 percent of it, and not thanks to him, but to the "blockaders" who sold it in 2008 as one of the country’s most important resources, at a time when there were unexploited oil fields, which later significantly contributed to the company’s growth.

He pointed out that geopolitics has also become geobusiness.

"You can see it in the case of Ukraine as well, they say 'we will help you, but you will buy our Gripens, our Rafales…', and the money will be taken from reserves seized from Russia. From geopolitics everything becomes geobusiness. We are small, but in this case neither guilty nor responsible," Vucic said.

He stressed that for more than 40 days citizens of Serbia have not felt at gas stations that the country is not receiving oil through JANAF.

Commenting on speculation about a third party that could buy the Russian share in NIS and the origin of the money for that purchase, Vucic wondered why someone would buy NIS with Serbian funds.

"They would buy it with their own, not with our money, but that is ultimately the Russian decision. We cannot even insist on the right of first refusal as a minority shareholder, because the Russians will tell us this is not a voluntary sale but a forced one," Vucic said.

When more information becomes available, the public will, he says, be informed.

He stated that negotiations are currently underway with three companies.

"There is only what we know, the desire of the Russian owners to sell their share. And we know that talks are ongoing with several companies. That is all we know. Three, as far as I know. So everyone will see whose money it is, who the owner is, and everything else," President Vucic added.