German Ambassador: Scholz’s Key Message Is That Serbia and the Region Are Important

Ambassador Thomas Schieb

German Ambassador to Serbia Thomas Schieb said on June 5 that the key message of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, slated to visit Serbia and the region on June 10, was how important Serbia and the Western Balkans were.

"The key message of our in-depth diplomacy and official visits is: We see Serbia and other Western Balkan countries as being very important. Their integration into the EU is and will remain our goal. Besides, Russia's offensive war against Ukraine is a test for all of us, where we must show that the European Union and Western Balkans stand side by side," the ambassador said in an interview with the Politika daily.

Schieb mentioned recent visits by German officials to Belgrade, adding that Chancellor Scholz planned to visit Serbia on June 10, where he plans to follow up on talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Berlin one month ago.

On the topic of Serbia not imposing sanctions against Russia, Schieb said that as a candidate state, Serbia had agreed to align with the EU's foreign policy, which included decisions on sanctions. "Serbia has already joined sanctions against Belarus and supported the decisions of the General Assembly of the United Nations on the offensive war against Ukraine, which violates international law. Those were significant steps. Now it's important to take on the EU's other positions," the ambassador added.