European Council president says Serbia's leader has vowed to stay on the EU path despite Russia trip

BELGRADE – European Council President António Costa connected Tuesday criticized Serbia populist president's travel to Russia's Victory Day ceremonies past week, but said that helium received assurances that the troubled Balkan federation nevertheless volition stay connected the way toward European Union accession.

Costa said successful Belgrade — astatine the commencement of his circuit of six Western Balkan rank hopefuls — that “a batch of radical asked maine not to come” to Serbia. But helium said that helium decided to come, and that helium wanted to “clarify” President Aleksandar Vucic's sojourn to Moscow past week.

Vucic, Costa said, “explained to maine it was a infinitesimal to observe an lawsuit from the past."

“We cannot rewrite the history, and (we) afloat recognize that Serbia celebrates (its) liberation” by Soviet troops, Costa said, earlier referring to the Russia-Ukraine war. “But we cannot observe the liberation 80 years agone and don’t condemn an penetration of different state today.”

Now, Costa said, “we tin reaffirm, and it’s important to perceive from him (Vucic) to publically reaffirm, that helium is afloat committed with the European Union and with the accession path.”

Vucic, a erstwhile utmost nationalist criticized astatine location and overseas implicit alleged progressively authoritarian ways, has maintained adjacent relations with some Russia and China portion formally saying that helium wants Serbia to articulation the EU.

Vucic has said his determination to be Russian President Vladimir Putin's subject parade marking the World War II triumph implicit Nazi Germany, was portion of efforts to support “traditional friendships” — Russia is simply a chap Slavic and Orthodox Christian federation —while seeking EU entry.

Serbia, which relies astir afloat connected Russia for energy, has refused to articulation Western sanctions connected Russia implicit the full-scale penetration of Ukraine and hasn't supported astir EU statements condemning the aggression. Belgrade alternatively has backed a U.N. solution criticizing Russia's attack.

Vucic said that helium expected “reaction and attacks” implicit the Moscow travel astatine an upcoming European Political Community acme successful Albania. He pledged that Serbia volition soon walk media and anti-corruption laws needed to determination guardant successful the accession process.

Serbia, helium said, “sees itself present and successful the aboriginal arsenic connected the EU way and arsenic a subordinate of the European Union.”

Vucic besides has been nether unit astatine location pursuing six months of large anti-corruption protests that erupted aft a bid presumption calamity successful Serbia's northbound that killed 16 radical and which galore successful the state blamed connected graft successful infrastructure construction.

A radical of Serbian assemblage students — who person been a cardinal unit down the protests — were successful Brussels this week aft moving a relay-style marathon determination to gully EU attraction to their conflict for justness and the regularisation of instrumentality that they accidental has been dismantled nether Vucic's choky regularisation successful the country.

From Belgrade, Costa volition question aboriginal connected Tuesday to Bosnia-Herzegovina wherever separatist policies of a Serb-run entity's president person revived taste tensions agelong aft a 1992-95 war, and stalled pro-EU reforms.

Montenegro and Albania person been astatine the forefront of the rank way portion Serbia, Bosnia, Kosovo and North Macedonia are lagging behind. The EU's willingness to judge caller members has grown since the all-out warfare successful Ukraine started connected Feb. 24, 2022, fearing the struggle could substance instability successful the volatile Balkans.

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