European Council President António Costa met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade on Tuesday, highlighting the necessity for Serbia to align more closely with the European Union. Costa affirmed that Serbia is “fully committed to the European accession process” during his visit.
The meeting comes amid backlash regarding Vučić's recent attendance at Moscow's Victory Day parade, with Costa noting that “a lot of people asked me not to come.” Nevertheless, he chose to visit Belgrade to “clarify” Vučić's trip to Moscow, emphasizing the need for "full alignment in our common foreign and security policy."
President Vučić explained that his visit to Moscow was intended to commemorate a significant historical event, stating, “Serbia and the Serbian people made a huge contribution to the victory over fascism" in World War II. Costa acknowledged this perspective but added, “We cannot celebrate the liberation 80 years ago and don’t condemn an invasion of another country today,” referencing Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.
Vučić defended his trip to Russia, asserting that he had communicated his plans openly, unlike others who did not disclose their travels. The Serbian president is currently facing substantial pressure domestically, following six months of large-scale, student-led anti-corruption protests triggered by a tragic train station awning collapse in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, which claimed 16 lives.
Critics have also pointed to Vučić's close ties with Russia and China, despite his formal declarations of wanting Serbia to join the EU. Serbia is heavily dependent on Russia for energy supplies and has declined to participate in Western sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, instead supporting a UN resolution that condemned the aggression.
Following his discussions in Belgrade, Costa plans to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the ongoing standoff involving Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik against the state-level government has reignited ethnic tensions and stalled pro-EU reforms.
In recent developments, Albania and Montenegro have emerged as frontrunners for EU membership in the Western Balkans, while Serbia, Bosnia, Kosovo, and North Macedonia continue to lag behind in the accession process.
