Vucic with Fiala: Czech Republic will strive to shorten Serbia's path to EU membership

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and on this occasion, he noted that his visit had provided an opportunity to further strengthen the good cooperation and friendly relations between Serbia and the Czech Republic. He stated that he had discussed Serbia’s European path with the Czech prime minister and asked him to support the opening of Cluster 3. Fiala, on the other hand, said that the Czech Republic would strive to shorten Serbia’s path to EU membership.

"Today we are discussing current developments in the world, Europe, and the region, Serbia's European path, as well as our bilateral relations, particularly in economic cooperation, trade promotion, and attracting new Czech investments in Serbia," Vucic shared on his Instagram profile.

He expressed hope for reaching agreements on specific steps and projects.

"I expect agreements on concrete steps and projects that will contribute to more comprehensive cooperation and a strong boost to the economies of our countries, above all, improving the lives of all our citizens," Vucic emphasized.

The President of Serbia and the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic addressed the media after their meeting at a joint conference held at the Palace of Serbia. Vucic thanked the Czech Republic for its understanding and asked Fiala to support the opening of Cluster 3.

"Whether it will be opened or not, I don’t know, and I don’t want to promise anything. But I am grateful to the Czech Republic, which has never created obstacles for Serbia on its path to European integration and understands our positions, even on certain issues where we may not share the same opinion," Vucic said at the joint press conference in the Palace of Serbia.

Vucic mentioned that he had discussed transportation with the Czech Prime Minister, including railways, cargo, trolleys, trams, buses, trains, and everything else related to it. He said they had also talked about infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, defense, and collaboration between their defense industries.

He added that it is quite certain that, following Donald Trump's victory, European industry will invest much more intensively, extensively, and vigorously in its own advancement.

"In this context, we discussed ways to improve our cooperation and increase production in the future. I asked Prime Minister Fiala to share insights, our teams went to see their nuclear power plant and understand its operations. They face the same problem as we do, of course, though they are far more developed. Both our countries will face power shortages in the coming years, so we are looking to learn from their experience. They are currently selecting a partner for a new nuclear power plant. We will have to do the same in the future, and we should not hide this," Vucic stated.

He added that they had also discussed mineral resources.

"Both of us have lithium, and we looked at ways to ensure full respect for and protection of the environment, as well as compliance with all rights, rules, and norms of the European Union, which are among the highest in the world," Vucic said.

He emphasized that relations between Serbia and the Czech Republic will continue to progress and added that he informed the Czech Prime Minister about Serbia's economic situation and recent investment-grade rating.

"I believe there is a lot ahead of us and that we will accomplish many things together," Vucic said.

Fiala stated that the Czech Republic provides long-term and consistent support to Serbia on its path to European Union membership, with the message that Western Balkan countries should not be left waiting at the door and that Serbia is taking all necessary steps to become an EU member.

"The Czech Republic will strive to shorten Serbia’s path to membership as much as possible and will support Serbia in becoming a member state as soon as possible," Fiala said at the press conference in the "Serbia" Palace.

He expressed satisfaction with the opportunity to speak with President Vucic and Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, noting that their discussions had affirmed the deep friendship between the two countries.

Fiala mentioned that Czech companies have a good reputation in Serbia and expressed hope for new business opportunities in Serbia. As he added, he is convinced there are new areas for enhanced cooperation between the two countries in transport, telecommunications, defense, and security.

"I was pleased to read that in 2023, the Czech Republic was the fourth-largest investor in Serbia, which confirms the strong relations between our countries," Fiala said.