Vucic: Grateful to the Czech Republic for supporting Serbia's EU path; Babis: Serbia belongs in Schengen and the EU

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic today expressed gratitude to Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis for the Czech Republic's support for Serbia's European path. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said he does not understand why Serbia and the Western Balkans are not part of the Schengen Area, nor why the EU is not making an effort to admit the countries of the region as members.

At a joint press conference, Vucic stressed that Serbs and Czechs share a remarkable history.

"We have gained so much through our friendship, and we have often looked up to and learned from the Czechs. We have always had the closest relations and benefited greatly from distinguished Czechs," Vucic said.

He pointed out that relations between the two countries are now at an exceptionally high level, and that the friendship is reflected not only in strong political ties, but also in increasingly robust economic relations and significant growth in trade.

"I am grateful to Prime Minister Babis and the Czech Republic for supporting Serbia on its path toward the EU. As a rational and realistic person, knowing how things work within the EU and understanding the position of European leaders, I have said that what matters most for Serbia is to become part of the single market and to have open borders within the region and with EU member states. That would be a tremendous success. Serbia does not want to depend on someone else's funds, on whether it will have a commissioner somewhere or be able to use a veto. We are interested in economic progress. I am satisfied with the pace of our progress," Vucic said.

He added that he is particularly pleased with Serbia's significantly higher growth rate, which has exceeded the EU average for the third consecutive year.

"I believe Prime Minister Babis shares a similar view, that we should focus on practical measures that are in the interest of the EU, the Western Balkan candidate countries and candidates from other parts of the continent," Vucic said.

He also specified that economic cooperation, namely trade between the two countries, has increased almost sixfold over the past 12 years, from 430 million euros to 2.4 billion euros.

He added that they also discussed investments and cooperation in other areas, including military-technical cooperation.

"We will continue to cooperate very closely," Vucic said, thanking the Czech Republic for its decision to participate in Expo 2027 in Belgrade.

Babis: Serbia belongs in Schengen and the EU

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said he does not understand why Serbia and the Western Balkans are not part of the Schengen Area, nor why the EU is not seeking to admit the countries of the region into the bloc.

"I do not understand why the EU is not trying to expand the Schengen Area to the entire Western Balkans, including Serbia. I have advocated that many times. I do not understand why Serbia is not in Schengen," Babis stressed.

He pointed out that it is paradoxical that some Schengen countries protect their borders against illegal migration less effectively than countries that are not part of the agreement.

"The same applies to the EU. Instead of trying to bring Serbia and the Western Balkans into the Union, we have an endless story that has gone on for decades. Unfortunately, no one in the EU Council says why they do not want these countries. Serbia has our support. Enlargement is, of course, important for the EU, especially at a time when we are talking about war instead of peace," Babis said.

He stressed that cooperation between the Czech Republic and Serbia is excellent and that there are many joint projects.

He recalled that he last visited Serbia in 2021, when Europe was struggling with COVID, and that Serbia was among the most successful countries in dealing with the pandemic.

"At that time, the President of Serbia donated 100,000 vaccine doses to the Czech Republic, at a time when we were struggling to obtain vaccines within the EU, which did not help us. Such things are not forgotten," Babis said.

He said he was impressed by the operations of Czech companies in Serbia, as well as by the fact that bilateral trade has reached 2.4 billion euros.
He added that he is looking forward to the Czech Republic's participation in Expo.

"We are looking forward to participating in Expo, especially because you have offered us an excellent location. I believe it will be a major event for Serbia and for all of us," Babis stressed.

Vucic: An important shift in the US desire to treat Serbia differently, and we are grateful for it

Responding to a journalist's question about the launch of a strategic dialogue with the United States, Vucic said Serbia has only just begun that dialogue and that it is certainly an important development for the country.

"It is a complex issue, and attention has mainly been paid to it on a symbolic level, while very few have addressed its substance. There are issues that are neither simple nor easy and require discussion, but what matters is the shift in the United States' desire to treat Serbia differently. We are grateful for that and ready to engage in dialogue. As a small but free country, we are prepared to conduct such dialogue in accordance with our own interests, while respecting America's strength and its position in the world," Vucic said.

Vucic wrote on Instagram that he had a productive discussion with Andrej Babis about opportunities to further strengthen economic cooperation between Serbia and the Czech Republic, with a particular focus on connecting companies, creating new investment opportunities and enhancing economic ties between the two countries.

"We also exchanged views on Serbia's European path and on the need for a joint response to the challenges of illegal migration, convinced that responsibility, good coordination and cooperation are essential for preserving stability," the Serbian President wrote.

Vucic added that he once again thanked Babis for confirming the Czech Republic's participation in Expo 2027, expressing confidence that the world exhibition will provide an opportunity to showcase innovation, connect businesses and open new possibilities for joint projects.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis arrived in Serbia last night, where he was welcomed at Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Adrijana Mesarovic.

Before departing for Belgrade, Babis told Czech journalists that Serbia unquestionably belongs in the European Union and that he was traveling on an economic mission. He added that he would not be discussing Kosovo or relations between Serbia and Croatia with President Aleksandar Vucic, saying those issues should be resolved at the highest level within the EU.