The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced on Friday 28 October, €165 million in support to help Serbia cope with the energy crisis.
Speaking from the Serbia/Bulgaria gas interconnector in Nis, Mrs von der Leyen said the interconnector was another step towards diversifying the Serbian market and providing greater security. Serbia is almost entirely dependent on Russian gas. The President also invited Belgrade to join the platform for joint gas purchases.
While underlining the country’s progress on its European path, Mrs von der Leyen called on it to continue its reforms, notably on the independence and accountability of the judiciary and the fight against corruption. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić hoped that new sets of EU accession negotiation chapters could be opened by the end of the year.
Mrs von der Leyen also explained that the reforms go hand in hand with alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), while Serbia has not adopted the sanctions against Russia. “Joining the EU means sharing the same values, going in the same direction in geopolitical decisions and therefore a strong alignment with our CFSP”, she said.
Mr Vučić confirmed that his country was not aligned, adding that there had never been any question of challenging Ukraine’s territorial integrity. He questioned whether Serbia’s territorial integrity, i.e. Kosovo’s independence, was respected.
In this respect, Mrs von der Leyen hoped for progress in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, especially on licence plates. The Commission President said that the EU and its partners were working “intensively” on the issue and that she was convinced that a solution could be found. “This requires a constructive spirit and flexibility on both sides”, she said. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)