The Ambassador reflected on the European Union enlargement as thus far being too slow and too long, and without enough results, which led to decreasing enthusiasm for the accession process. However, he highlighted that there is a new political momentum, with a clear window of opportunity for Western Balkans states to join. Enlargement has a geostrategic imperative now, and it is prioritised by the new European Commission, promising that there is a clear decision to complete the EU through the process.

The Ambassador stressed that the enlargement is in the interest of both the region and of the EU itself, noting the progress on negotiations with various candidate states. He put this in the context of the necessity to accelerate progress and deliver reforms, while embracing common values that define Europe. He touched on the topic of the green transition as well, emphasising that there is a need for Europe to become more competitive, for which it requires access to critical raw materials.

 

He described Serbia as a country that has historically been at the frontier of empires and between two worlds, but that it clearly belongs to the European family and has common destiny with it. To help push the region further towards alignment with the EU, a new tool was created and rather quickly taken from an idea to reality. This tool is the Growth Plan, which is meant to integrate the region into the single market, and to support the progress on fundamental reforms. He noted that it was also meant to support the economies of the region which are lagging behind the EU, allowing them to feel the benefits of economic integration even before accession.

He listed some of the expected moves towards further integration of the region into the EU that would bring tangible effects for citizens, such as integration into the Single European Payment Area (SEPA), green lanes to abolish long queues at the border and reducing roaming costs between the region and the EU.

He touched on the importance of the advancement of human capital and the socio-economic development of the candidate countries. Regarding the fundamentals, he stressed that there need to be reforms on the rule of law, electoral conditions and media freedom, calling on the candidates in the region to fully focus on reform and to communicate their importance with the citizens.