On Tuesday 10 October, Serbia's Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee that her country was not as close to Russia as many assert.
She said that while her country has "very good relations with Russia, and cultural and religious links", and while many Serbs "consider Russia as a friend because of its support in the 1980s", this relationship "does not interfere with European integration in the slightest".
Asked about the military proximity between Belgrade and Moscow, Brnabic denied such a relationship. "As MEPs, you should be talking in the light of facts and not perceptions", she said, stating that out of the 16 multinational military exercises in which Serbia took part in 2016, nine took place with the USA and only two with Russia. Similarly, out of the 15 multinational exercises that have thus far taken place in 2017, 13 have been with NATO and two with Russia. Brnabic nevertheless said that her country wanted European integration and not Euro-Atlantic. "We do not want to be a member of NATO. We want to be militarily neutral", she said. The EU criticises Serbia for not being in line with the sanctions against Russia in connection with the Ukrainian crisis and Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Brnabic stated that her people's enthusiasm towards the EU was progressing. Recent opinion polls show that 49% of Serbians are in favour of the EU, she said. "The perception is in the process of changing – gradually, but it's changing", she added.
For her visit abroad and a few days before her 100 days in office as the head of government, Brnabic spoke about her priorities – digitisation and education. She compared these two planks to the foundations of a house. The three pillars/walls of the house would be "economic development and macro-economic stability, public service reforms, and the rule of law".
The roof of the house would be regional stability, but "this would only be for selfish reasons", she confessed. "We have done a lot to make the country economically stable (...) Our market is too small and every instability on the regional market has an impact on us", she said, underlining Serbia's full support of the Berlin process.
Brnabic also criticised the lack of progress, on the Kosovan side, in implementing the agreements signed in Brussels four and a half years ago. "Belgrade has implemented most of the points, but the cornerstone was the creation of Serbian communities in Kosovo. Pristina has not done this. It has not even begun to work on this issue. It has not implemented the agreements", she said.
In addition, the top of the house is "European integration". "Serbia's strategic axis is European integration. We want to be a member of the European family", she stated.
During her visit to Brussels on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 October, Brnabic also met European Commissioner for Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, European Parliament President Antonio Tajani and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.
At a press conference with Brnabic, Hahn said he was encouraged by Serbia's progress in terms of reforms. "A strong and solid rule of law is the final sign that Serbia is ready to enter the EU", he said, adding that he hoped new accession negotiation chapters would be opened before the end of the year. He did not give further details, however. Hahn also said that he had "no doubt" that Serbia would become a "member of the EU very quickly". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)