Vucic: EU path, SEPA, green lanes discussed in Brussels

BRUSSELS - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday in Brussels he had discussed the EU accession path with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and that Serbia was due to become a member of the Single European Payment Area (SEPA) from January 1.

"That is important not only for payment of remittances but, above all, for our small enterprises and our companies," Vucic told reporters.

He said he had also met with EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, who will soon assume another post in the EC.

"We discussed what we have done in the past period and I expressed gratitude to him for his enormous energy, self-sacrifice and commitment to solving problems. We also discussed the plans of the new European Commission, whose term expires in 2029 - in five years," Vucic said, noting that this had also been one of the topics at a working luncheon hosted by von der Leyen for Western Balkan leaders.

He said green lanes had been discussed as well and that the topic would soon be addressed with Hungarian friends and, hopefully, with Croatia, too, one day.

The EU path and what can be expected in the period to come was also discussed, he said.

"We will see the EC president in our region soon - she will visit Belgrade, too. We will probably meet in New York, too. I think she had a very positive attitude to enlargement as she spoke about geopolitical changes, and that is something that lends a new impetus to enlargement. I have great respect for her and I trust her, but I am not sure what that will look like on some other level," Vucic said.