Vucic addresses EU candidate countries' conference: "I don't believe in quick enlargement, partnership is key"

Photo: Tanjug/Live

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic is today attending the Conference of Speakers of the Parliaments of European Union Candidate Countries, which is held in the Palace of Serbia in New Belgrade.

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President of the National Assembly of Serbia, Ana Brnabic, greeted the participants and opened the conference.

"I hope that today we are laying the foundations for a completely new format. It's important for me to point out that this is the first time ever that we are launching a joint initiative. This conference is the result of a long-term dialogue. A big thank you to all parliamentarians who joined," Brnabic said, and added:

"We don't come together because we are the same, but because we believe that we can be each other's partners. Without strong parliaments, there are no strong institutions, and without them there is no strong integration. Our goal is to launch joint initiatives, to build a permanent network of cooperation. I want to thank President Vucic for his support. I am convinced that Belgrade will be remembered as the place where the first step was taken."

Vucic then also addressed those gathered at the Palace of Serbia.

"I am proud that you are Serbia's guests . Recently I was in the Georgian parliament, I learned a lot about our connections, relations. We must not be competitors but partners. Unfortunately, we in the Western Balkans have always been divided, doing things that someone told us to do. That's why we always gave everyone a chance to turn us against each other," the president said, and added:

"I am not optimistic about quick EU memberships for all of us. I don't think the EU can make decisions about enlargement in the next few years. I think it's otherwise pointless for Serbia to become a member of the EU, but not North Macedonia or Bosnia and Herzegovina. When I was proposing that all of us together should have the opportunity to become a part of the single market, it made sense."

The parliament speakers gathered in Belgrade today will take part in the main panel entitled, "European integration in new geopolitical circumstances: The role of the parliaments of candidate countries in strengthening European cooperation and improving the process of accession to the European Union".

(Telegraf.rs)