Vučić vows ‘substantial changes’ but balance relations with EU, Russia, China

Profound and essential changes must be made in all spheres of life for Serbia to continue progressing, said Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, adding that balancing relations with the EU, Russia, and China will be key.

Speaking about Expo 2027, the first BIE-specialised exposition in southeastern Europe, Vučić called it “our goal that must uplift and develop the country.”

He said that new oil and gas pipelines, known as integral development projects, will need to be constructed in the upcoming period, stressing the need to find a new objective everyone can agree on.

“Expo 2027 must allow future generations to define our objectives more easily. We must find our perspective that won’t jeopardise our European future or friendships with China and Russia while advancing our nation,” Vučić said.

Serbia remains the only European country that has not aligned its foreign policy with the European Union in the wake of the Russian war in Ukraine. Instead, it has strengthened ties with Moscow, and Vučić has even mocked the West for their alignments.

He added that comprehensive plans and programmes for the next three years will be presented around 20 January, as Belgium begins its six-month EU Council presidency stint.

Stefan Surlić, an assistant professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences, noted for Radio Television of Serbia that they already have a defined roadmap they want to achieve. He added that any significant shifts during Belgium’s presidency would likely be due to decisive pressure from leading EU countries to achieve specific results before European elections.

However, Surlić expects that the conditioning policy will continue, and Belgrade and Pristina will face concrete demands to implement the Basic Agreement and the Ohrid Agreement fully.

These demands may be conveyed through criteria set in Chapter 35 of Serbia’s negotiations with the European Union, according to former diplomat Zoran Milivojević.

“Before the elections, there was a session of the Council of the European Union, and a deadline was given, which is the end of January, to de facto incorporate recognition into Chapter 35, meaning the Ohrid Agreement. Now, that deadline is approaching; we are already in January. The fact that it is nearing is already a form of pressure. So, this is a significant test, “he told RTS.

“We had elections and a convincing victory for the ruling party. What remains is what the ruling party went into the elections with, which is a firm stance on statesmanship and national interests – no recognition of Kosovo,” Milivojević added.

(Euractiv.rs | Jelena Nikolic)