Vucic: You Will See Progress on Serbia’s EU Path 

Aleksandar Vucic (Photo: PrintScreen blic.rs)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Jan. 27 said that Serbia would demonstrate it could achieve faster progress on its EU path. 

“We have done this (set up a delivery team for the EU accession process) to show that we can get closer to the EU, that we can progress faster and solve the tasks for which we, unfortunately, did not show much interest in the previous period. You will see and I am sure that there will be progress,” Vucic told reporters at the opening of a renovated primary school in the village of Velika Drenova near Trstenik.

Asked to comment on the text titled “What kind of scolding Vucic got in Davos to make him come up with something like this,” published on portal Nova, Vucic said that he could not think of any, adding he respected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and that they cherished an open relationship. “We do not need to have a similar or shared position on some issues, but we have mutual respect,” he said.

“I am the proud president of Serbia, and I am not scolded by the most powerful presidents in the world, let alone some officials or bureaucrats. In Davos, they look at me with respect, they listen carefully to what I say. And when I am harsh, I do not like to talk about it,” Vucic said.

The day after Vucic had suggested setting up a delivery team, the Cabinet ministers adopted amendments to the Decree on forming a Coordinating Body for Serbia’s EU accession, which will comprise of top state officials. Their task will be to provide strategic guidelines, ensure political coordination and timely resolution of issues of particular importance for the country’s progress in the accession negotiations.