'EU wants Serbia as sincere candidate, reliable partner'

BELGRADE, Serbia

European Union wants Serbia as a sincere candidate and a reliable partner, the EU foreign policy chief said on Wednesday.

“Important work for EU-Western Balkans ahead; want to count on Serbia as a sincere candidate and reliable European partner for common principles, values, security, and prosperity,” Josep Borrell said on Twitter after a phone call with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

He added that they also addressed regional issues and the upcoming elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina slated for Oct. 2.

The Serbian president said he had a 25-minute talk with Borrell and they addressed Serbia’s European integration, the dialogue with Pristina, the situation in the region, and the continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina talks on the declaration on missing persons.

Serbia, which is almost entirely dependent on Russian gas and oil, has faced growing pressure for its neutrality and reluctance to sanction Moscow for war on Ukraine.

Vucic has been walking a tightrope in recent months, on the one side expressing that sanctioning Russia would cost Belgrade dearly, while also trying to assure the EU that “Serbia is on the European path” and this was the country’s “only policy.”