Belgrade, Serbia
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday called on Western Balkan countries to take Ukraine’s path and pace towards EU membership as an example and criticized close ties of Serbia with Russia.
“We want to move forward on the path to enlargement and we have sent a strong message that they must seize the momentum of the enlargement process created by Ukraine’s rapid progress. Ukraine is progressing. They must (also) follow this path at the same pace. Now is the time for them to accelerate reforms, align themselves with European Union standards and prepare their societies for membership. There is an opportunity, a unique opportunity. They have to use it,” Borrell said.
His remarks were made at a news conference after a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
Borrell said that the foreign ministers of six countries in the Western Balkans region, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia, exchanged their views on Russia’s influence in the region.
“We discussed the influence of Russia, which is trying to derail the European path of Western Balkan candidates. We welcomed the strategic and courageous choices of some of them, which fully align with our foreign policy and our sanctions,” he said.
Borrell also criticized Serbia for not aligning its foreign policy with that of the European Union.
“We have also indicated to those who have not yet aligned fully, or at all — and I want to mention Serbia in particular — that maintaining close ties with Russia is not compatible with its process of accession to the European Union. This also harms its own national interests, but it is certainly not compatible with the process of accession to the European Union,” he said.
Serbia, which aspires to become a member of the EU, has resisted the application of Western sanctions against Russia because of Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
President Aleksandar Vucic has repeatedly said his Western allies are pressuring him to sanction Russia.
Russia supports Serbia’s refusal to recognize the independence of its former province of Kosovo – an issue that has recently heightened tensions between Belgrade and Pristina.
