Vucic: EU needs to change its strategy on entire W Balkans, Serbia

BUDAPEST - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said at the European Political Community Summit in Budapest on Thursday the EU needed to change its strategy on the entire Western Balkans, as well as on Serbia, and make strategic decisions on enlargement.

"I think that we should discuss strategic issues," noted Vucic, who was one of the six main speakers at the summit.

He said the EU accession of Romania, Bulgaria and some other countries had been a "political decision made by the EU when there were strategic decisions and people who were thinking strategically."

"Serbia's economy is the strongest economy, by all means, in the Western Balkans. 'Yeah, but we do not need Serbia because they did not impose sanctions against Russia, or (because of) whatever other reason, or they did not resolve their problems with some others.' But we are not the only ones who made those problems," he noted.

Vucic added that Serbia remained on the European path and was a loyal partner to the EU, and that, under new circumstances, Europe needed strategic dialogue.

"Of course, it is not easy for me to speak today after previous speeches... but I will do my best to be as honest and as sincere as possible under these circumstances. I believe that, instead of reiterating and repeating the same messages, we need a real, strategic conversation between all of us who are sitting here and other countries as well.

The world has changed, and the world will be changing furthermore, but we still live in the past, not accepting it and reiterating the same platitudes as we used to do in the past," Vucic said.