German Minister: Berlin Has Taken Notice of Serbia’s U.N. Vote on Russia’s Agression

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during a March 11 visit to Belgrade that Serbia’s support to the U.N. General Assembly’s resolution condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine had been “well noted” by Berlin.

At a joint press conference after a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Baerbock said that Germany wanted Serbia to join the European Union (EU), but that Serbia was in need of reforms in the area of rule of law, adding that Belgrade could count on Berlin’s “energetic and very sincere” support.

The German foreign minister, who took office in December, said that on the path to the EU “visible progress” in the Serbia-Kosovo normalization talks needed to be seen. “Germany wants to contribute to a meeting between the governments of Serbia and Kosovo after the elections, which should take steps toward reaching a comprehensive agreement to normalize relations,” she said.

When asked if Vucic had signaled clearly enough a readiness to distance himself from Putin more convincingly, Baerbock said that she thanked Serbia for condemning “the aggressive war of the Russian president, which is contrary to international law,” just like all members of the EU and most of the international community.