Serbia must push on with reforms to join EU, says Germany's Scholz

Serbia should continue to implement reforms, including those related to media freedom, in order to achieve its ambition to join the European Union, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated on Wednesday. He also said that he would like all countries of Western Balkans to be members.

Scholz said that Serbia must continue its reforms, which includes media freedom and fighting organised criminality. He spoke at a news conference that was co-hosted by Aleksandar Vucic, the Serbian President.

At a news conference earlier, Scholz stated that he considered the Western Balkans countries to be part of Europe at a press conference with Albin Kurti, Kosovo's Prime Minister.

He said that all of its countries should be members of the European Union in the future and promised to do his best to support the process.

Scholz will visit the region in the second half, which includes Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as North Macedonia, North Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro. The countries will be invited to meet with him on the topic of regional cooperation.

Vucic reiterated the ambition of his country to join EU.

"It is Serbia’s decision to follow the European path. Serbia is committed to this. Vucic said that despite the fact that the EU path is not popular in opinion polls, Serbia's leadership will support it.

Serbia, which was engulfed by Russia's invasion in Ukraine, has had to reconcile its European ambitions and NATO partnership with its centuries-old political, religious and ethnic alliance with Russia.

Belgrade voted against Russia in the United Nations, but did not impose sanctions on it.

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