Macut: Serbia is very close to joining the EU, but political obstacles exist

At the Euronews Adria Summit, Macut emphasized that Serbia has met all the technical conditions for accession to the European Union, but that a final decision by the member states is still lacking.

"I believe we are truly closer than ever to joining the EU, because we have fulfilled all the prerequisites. Through various meetings I’ve had as Prime Minister, I have felt that everyone understands, respects, and appreciates us", Macut said at the conference, which aims to create a platform for discussion on key social, political, and economic issues in the Western Balkans. He noted that there is a "trigger" for opening Cluster 3.

Speaking about the EU’s annual report on Serbia, Macut said that the report was received more as criticism than as praise.

"Serbia has been on the path of European integration for a long time. We have made important progress, and in the past few months, we have accelerated our efforts", Macut stated.

According to him, the structure of the remaining obligations is slowing down progress.

"We have fulfilled 65%of the accession requirements, while some countries have reached even higher percentages", Macut explained, adding that 20 to 30 percent of the criteria are related to foreign policy toward third countries and sanctions.

Foto: Tanjug/Jadranka Ilić

He described the Berlin Process as a bridge connecting Serbia to the EU and added that the Government of Serbia will take full responsibility for continuing the reform process.

"We will be very active – ministers have received clear instructions, and I will closely monitor their work", the Prime Minister emphasized.

When asked whether Russia uses Kosovo and Metohija to maintain its influence in Serbia, Macut said that Russia is a traditional friend that understands Serbia’s situation, given that it has itself gone through various periods of disintegration and structural transformation over the past few decades.

In response to a question about the feasibility of maintaining a policy of not imposing sanctions on the Russian Federation, Macut said he considers such a policy viable, but only with coordination with European partners.

The First Euronews Adria Summit

The main topics of the first Euronews Adria Summit include geopolitical challenges, preparations for EXPO 2027, economic forecasts for the coming year, relations between media and politics, diplomatic perspectives, and steps toward European integration.

Among the participants were Serbian Prime Minister Djuro Macut, Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric, Hungarian Ambassador Jozsef Magyar, Air Serbia CEO Jiri Marek, EXPO 2027 Director’s Advisor Dusan Borovcanin, as well as representatives of the business community and regional media.

The conference is organized by Euronews Serbia, a media company aiming to present its regional network, which now includes Euronews Bosnia and Herzegovina based in Sarajevo and Euronews Montenegro based in Podgorica, in addition to its Belgrade studio. Next year, Euronews North Macedonia is expected to join the network.

According to the organizers, the Euronews Adria Summit is intended to become an annual platform for exchanging views on key issues of interest to citizens, the media, and the region’s business and political elites.

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