Vucic: No Progress in Region's European Integration, Hopes for Change by Year's End

Rama, Kovacevski, Vucic (BETAPHOTO/European Council/Alexandros Michailidis)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated in Brussels on June 23, after the summit of leaders of the EU and the Western Balkans, that there was no progress in the region's European integration and that he hoped that situation would change by the end of the year.

Speaking at the joint news conference with the leaders of Albania and North Macedonia, Edi Rama and Dimitar Kovacevski, Vucic said that these two countries were not given the date for the start of the EU accession negotiations, and that Bosnia and Herzegovina was not given the status of candidate for EU membership.

"Today (June 23), Edi and Dimitar are more frustrated than I, but I hope the situation can change by September. As I understand, our European colleagues will invest effort for that to happen, and we will invest effort in carrying out reforms in the rule of law and other fields. I hope we will all be in a better mood in December," Vucic stated.

Rama said he was disappointed with the Union's approach to the region's European integration, saying that Bulgaria was not the only problem – it was also the fact that the EU was experiencing enlargement fatigue. He appealed on the EU leaders "not to kill the Albanians' hopes" for a future in Europe, stating that his country would stay on the European path in the belief that it would become an EU member. Rama also said it was regrettable that the EU had not yet liberalized the visa regime for the citizens of Kosovo.