Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has pledged support for Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union, saying Belgrade will not seek to hinder Kyiv’s progress toward membership.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Belgrade, Vucic said the two leaders discussed the European integration efforts of both Serbia and Ukraine. He stressed that Ukraine would have Serbia’s backing as it moves through the accession process.
“Ukraine will always have our support on its path to the EU. We make no comments regarding the halting of anyone else's path just because we have been unable to open certain clusters,” Vucic said.
He added that Serbia hoped Ukraine would be able to open and close all of its EU negotiating clusters as quickly as possible, describing this as the goal of both the Ukrainian people and leadership. Vucic also said Serbia would have no problem with Ukraine advancing through the negotiations and would do everything within its power to assist Kyiv on its European path.
Ukraine is currently working to advance the remaining stages of its EU accession negotiations. Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, expects the remaining negotiating clusters to be opened this autumn. He has said that completing negotiations with the EU by the end of 2027 would be an ambitious but achievable target.
