President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wrapped up her three-day visit to the Western Balkans Six on Wednesday in Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia. In Belgrade, she stressed that Serbia should “get concrete” about joining the EU, whereas in Pristina she urged the authorities to “continue building strong institutions”.
Finally, in Skopje Von der Leyen reiterated the message that the constitutional change had to be made in order for the country to progress on the EU path.
“We need to see progress on the rule of law in Serbia”
Speaking at the joint conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Ursula von der Leyen noted that “we live in a fractured world, with a widening gap between democracies and autocracies”.
“Therefore, we need to see progress, on the rule of law, the electoral framework and media freedom. I know these reforms are not easy… But they are worth the effort. Because they move you closer to your goal… Implementation is now the key”, she said.
According to Ursula von der Leyen, “now is the moment for Serbia to get concrete about joining our Union”.
“Therefore, we need to see progress on the rule of law, the electoral framework and media freedom. I know these reforms are not easy… But they are worth the effort. Because they move you closer to your goal… Implementation is now the key”, she said.
In addition, the President of the EC underlined that the Union was connecting Serbia to the EU’s energy market, which was “the true guarantee that Serbian families will be safe and warm in winter”.
For his part, Aleksandar Vučić stressed that the EU membership “is a strategic commitment and a foreign policy priority” for Serbia, in spite of the fact that “since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, we have not opened a single chapter, not a single cluster” in the EU accession talks.
President of the EC also met with representatives of the Serbian civil society in Belgrade. After the meeting, she stated that “EU-related reforms should involve all parts of society and the political spectrum”.
“It is important to de-escalate tensions in Kosovo”
In Pristina, Ursula von der Leyen held a separate meeting with President Vjosa Osmani and Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti. She did not hold a press conference after these talks.
However, she wrote on X that the EU remained committed to “a future where all six Western Balkan partners are part of our Union”.
“For this, it’s important that Kosovo keeps building strong institutions. De-escalates tensions in the country. Also, Kosovo should finalise the steps needed to benefit from the Growth Plan”, President of the EC underlined.
Vjosa Osmani stated that she and Von der Leyen discussed the implementation of the Growth Plan, the EU punitive measures against Kosovo and the European integration of Kosovo.
“We discussed the implementation of the Growth Plan, the importance of lifting unfair measures against our country, as well as further steps on the path towards our integration into the European Union. The support of the European Commission to Kosovo in this process remains essential”, Osmani wrote on her official Facebook account.
Similarly, Kurti’s office stated that in the meeting with Ursula von der Leyen he reiterated the need for the EU to grant the candidate state to Kosovo as soon as possible.
“Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to President Von der Leyen for the continued commitment and support to Kosovo’s European path. During the meeting, they discussed the deepening of relations between Kosovo and the EU, our reforms and progress in the domain of rule of law and security, democratic progress and economic growth”, the press release reads.
“North Macedonia needs to make the agreed constitutional change
In Skopje, Ursula von der Leyen held a series of bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, with the President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, and with the Speaker of Parliament, Afrim Gashi, concluding her trip to the region.
She noted that the EU remained “fully behind North Macedonia on its EU path”.
“The next and only step before the opening of the negotiations is clear. You need to make the agreed constitutional change. The ball is in your court. The EU is ready”, Von Der Leyen wrote on X.
In addition, the President of EC announced that the Union will open “an AI Factory antenna in Skopje”.
“We’re including you in Europe’s Single Payment Area. And we’re disbursing 16 million euros thanks to the reforms you have made”, she remarked.
Hristijan Mickoski welcomed the announcement, stressing that an AI factory “is something great for the citizens” of the country, as “for the first time we will use our local resources”.
