Vucic: Serbia is the strongest it has ever been in its history

After the European People’s Party – Western Balkans Summit, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic expressed gratitude to member states that supported the opening of Cluster 3 for Serbia.

“I believe that in the coming period, we can expect even greater support from the European People’s Party for Serbia. We look forward to more positive results for our country,” Vucic said.

He noted that many officials had spoken about and recognized Serbia's achievements during the summit.

“They know that Serbia is the second-fastest-growing economy in Europe, and if we achieve all our goals next year, we will have the highest growth rate in Europe. We are waiting to see how the new Trump administration will approach relations with China and how that will affect us. If the war in Ukraine were to be stopped, it would drastically boost the growth of all countries and improve prosperity,” Vucic stated.

He added that he does not want to interfere in the relationship between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

“I know Zelensky very well, and the Hungarian Prime Minister is a personal friend. I don’t want to participate in criticizing Orban, as I believe his intentions are to contribute to peace. Zelensky has the right to make decisions about his own country. Therefore, I do not want to interfere in their relations, but I have the right to consider what would be best for us,” Vucic explained.

He emphasized that Serbia is currently the strongest it has ever been in its history.

“When were wages in Serbia higher? When were pensions higher? When was more construction happening in Serbia?” Vucic asked, stressing that Serbia means everything to him.

Regarding Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi’s statement that discussions on enlargement would take place with member states in January, Vucic is optimistic that Cluster 3 will be opened.

“I think it was clear last night that it comes down to one plus one country, and I am confident we will resolve it. By the end of January or early February, we will open Cluster 3. What matters most to people is that this is a positive signal. Ursula also spoke positively about Serbia this morning, and I greatly value her leadership. She has visited Serbia twice, including Nis, and I thank her for that. In a few days, the Serbian Government will receive funds from the Growth Agenda,” Vucic said.

With North Macedonia’s president confirming participation in the EXPO, Vucic said this is very significant to him.

“We have confirmations from the USA, Russia, China, and we hope to have 40 to 45 countries from Africa participating in the EXPO. That would be an incredible success. We will try to bring more than 65% of Asian or Latin American countries. We just need to accomplish all the necessary work. Then someone else will inaugurate it, and I will be happiest watching it on TV,” Vucic concluded.