Vucevic: EU incomplete without Western Balkans

TRIESTE - Serbian PM Milos Vucevic said on Friday in Trieste Serbia's objective was to become a full member of the EU and noted that it was impossible to complete the European story without EU accession for the Western Balkans.

In a keynote speech at an Italy-Serbia business forum on green transition, also addressed by Italian FM Antonio Tajani, Vucevic said Europe itself would be incomplete without EU membership for the region.

He said Serbia would safeguard peace and stability in the Western Balkans - not because someone else expected it to, but because it was its own interest.

"We have not fallen for provocations by those who are acting less responsibly because we are preserving our economy by preserving peace. We want people to be satisfied with life in Serbia and we want to open factories and protect the environment," he said.

Vucevic said that, as also confirmed by the International Monetary Fund, Serbia had stable public finances and a low budget deficit.

"Leap Into the Future 2027, including EXPO 2027, is the key project for Serbia, and the whole project is an approx. 17 bln euro investment that will cover the most important areas," Vucevic said.

He said Serbia had something to offer to Italian partners in all sectors - from energy and agriculture to infrastructure - and wanted positive competition against all European countries.

Vucevic said the more than 1,300 Italian companies in Serbia employed 27,000 people and that bilateral trade with Italy had been worth around 4.5 bln euros last year.

He said Serbia's FDI inflow had hit a record-high 4.5 bln euros in 2023 and that the jobless rate had declined to 9 pct.

In his speech, Tajani said Italy supported Serbia's EU membership and believed its accession to the bloc was natural and should be a priority not only for the Italian government, but the governments of all EU member states.

The visit to Italy is Vucevic's first trip abroad as PM.