European Council President Antonio Costa said today in Belgrade that in the process of Serbia's European integration, "the ball is in its court," and appealed to the Serbian authorities not to waste time, to implement the necessary reforms and to take advantage of the momentum that exists in the Union.
"Enlargement is based on building trust. I know that many people, not only in Serbia but also in the region, have lost faith in this process, but I have come here today to assure you of the EU's personal engagement and full commitment to achieving results in enlargement," he told reporters after a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
He also emphasized that the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo is crucial, as is a clear condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"The ball is now in your court and please let's not waste time because the future will not wait, so let's open this cluster and continue with Serbia's successful integration into the EU," he said.
Commenting on Vučić's departure to Moscow to celebrate Victory Day despite messages from Brussels not to do so, he said that the Serbian president explained to him that he had gone to celebrate events from the past.
"But at present, Serbia is fully committed to the EU accession process and knows that for that we need to have full coordination in the common foreign and security policy. We cannot change history, I completely understand that, that Serbia celebrates liberation, but we cannot celebrate it without condemning today's invasion of another country," he said.
Košta will also meet today with Serbian Prime Minister Đuro Macuta, Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić, and opposition parliamentary groups.
The President of the European Council was welcomed at the airport last night by the President of Serbia.
Košta is on a multi-day visit to the Western Balkan countries.
After Belgrade, he will go to Sarajevo and Podgorica, and on May 15th he will visit Skopje and Tirana - where the European Political Community Summit will be held on May 16th.
Before his arrival, Košta said that there was no fixed date for the admission of new members to the European Union, but he assessed that Albania and Montenegro were at an advantage compared to other countries in the Western Balkans.
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