BELGRADE – The future of Serbia will be decided neither by Moscow, nor Washington, neither by Ankara, nor by Brussels – it will be decided only by Belgrade, European Council President Donald Tusk said in Belgrade Wednesday.
“The main reason for my visit is to prepare for the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia on 17 May. And so I came with a clear message: the European Union is, and wants to remain the most reliable partner for Serbia and the entire Western Balkans region. At our summit in Sofia, we will reconfirm our readiness to continue the work on a European perspective for the region,” he told a press conference after meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
“Already now the EU is the biggest investor, the biggest donor and the biggest trading partner for the region. More than 60% of Serbia’s trade is with the EU, and more than 60% of foreign direct investment in Serbia comes from the EU. Still, we would like to deepen our economic relations further. Therefore, the Sofia summit will aim to substantially increase connectivity between the EU and the Western Balkans region,” Tusk said.
“We want to boost cooperation where it will have the biggest benefit for all sides. This means investment in roads, railways, and smoother transitions at the borders, or in the skies, as was the case with the EIB agreement that we have just witnessed being signed. But it also means more student and cultural exchanges, and eventually a reduction of roaming charges,” Tusk said in his address.