The EU leader praised Serbia for its progress in EU membership despite growing Russian influence

BELGRADE, Serbia – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday praised the Serbian president for meeting with her and other European Union leaders instead of attending a Russia-hosted summit of developing economies held earlier this week held.

Serbia has close ties with Russia and has refused to join international sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. In a phone call Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, populist Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said EU candidate Serbia would maintain its position on sanctions despite pressure from the EU and other Western countries.

However, despite Putin’s invitation, Vucic did not attend a three-day summit of the BRICS group of countries, led by Russia and China, which took place earlier this week in the Russian city of Kazan. Leaders or representatives of 36 countries took part in the summit and highlighted the failure of US-led efforts to isolate Russia over its actions in Ukraine.

Vucic sent a high-level delegation to the meeting, but said he could not attend himself because he had scheduled meetings with von der Leyen and Polish and Greek leaders. There are fears in the West that Putin is plotting trouble in the volatile Balkans, partly to divert attention from his invasion of Ukraine.

“What I see is that the President of the Republic of Serbia receives me here today and has just received the Prime Minister of Greece and the Prime Minister of Poland. That speaks for itself, I think,” said von der Leyen at a joint press conference with Vucic.

“And for my part, I would like to say that my presence here today, in the context of my now fourth trip to the Balkan region since taking office, is a very clear sign that I believe that Serbia’s future lies in the European Union. she said.

Vucic said he knows what the EU demands for eventual membership – including compliance with foreign policy objectives – but promised no further coordination.

“Of course Ursula asked for much greater compliance with the EU foreign policy statement,” he said. “We know clearly what the requirements are, what the expectations are.”

Von der Leyen was in Serbia this week as part of a trip to aspiring EU member states in the Western Balkans to reassure them that EU enlargement remains a priority for the 27-nation bloc. From Serbia, Von der Leyen travels to neighboring countries Kosovo and Montenegro.

Serbian media reported that von der Leyen refused to meet with Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic over his talks Friday with a high-level Russian economic delegation, which was in Belgrade to discuss deepening ties with Serbia. Vucic will meet Russian officials on Saturday.

On Friday, in Bosnia, Von der Leyen pledged support to the deeply divided Balkan country that is struggling with the reforms needed to make progress toward EU membership.

The countries of the Western Balkans – Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia – are at various stages of their application for EU membership. The countries have been frustrated by the slow pace of the process, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has prompted European leaders to push for the six to join the bloc.

Bosnia was given the status of a candidate country in 2022. EU leaders agreed in principle in March to open membership negotiations, although Bosnia still has much work to do.

“We share the same vision for the future, a future in which Bosnia and Herzegovina is a full member of the European Union,” Von der Leyen said at a joint press conference with Bosnian Prime Minister Bojana Kristo. “So I would say: let’s keep working on that. We have come a long way, we still have a road ahead of us, but I have faith that you will make it.”

Last year, EU officials offered a $6.5 billion growth plan to Western Balkan countries in a bid to double the region’s economy over the next decade and accelerate their efforts to join the bloc . That aid is conditional on reforms that would bring their economies into line with EU rules.

The Commission approved the reform agendas of Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia on Wednesday after receiving the green light from EU member states. This was an important step to enable payments under the Growth Plan after completion of the agreed reform measures.

However, Bosnia’s reform agenda has still not been signed by the Commission.

“The entry process, as you know, is based on merit. We do not look at rigid data, but at the merits, the progress that a country makes,” said Von der Leyen. “The most important thing is that we have an ambitious reform agenda, just like the other five Western Balkan countries have. We are ready to help you move forward.”

Long after the 1992-1995 ethnic war that killed more than 100,000 people and left millions homeless, Bosnia remains ethnically divided and politically deadlocked. An ethnic Serb entity – one of two equal parts of Bosnia that has a joint government – ​​has tried to gain as much independence as possible.

Upon arriving in Bosnia, Von der Leyen first went to Donja Jablanica, a village in central Bosnia that was devastated by recent floods and landslides, on Thursday. The disaster in early October claimed 27 lives and the small village was virtually buried under the rocks of a quarry on a hill above.

Von der Leyen said the EU would immediately send a $21 million aid package and later also provide reconstruction aid.

AP writer Jovana Gec contributed from Belgrade.