Serbs ignore EU threats
The EU's executive commission has made it clear that Serbia will be forced to cancel any bilateral trade agreements with other countries when it joins the EU.
The Bloomberg agency writes about this, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
EU leaders have said they would prefer Belgrade to align its policies more with Brussels, but Serbian officials have ignored the criticism and will sign an agreement to join the Eurasian Economic Union in October.
“You can't go in several directions at the same time. If you are serious about your European orientation, then obviously there should be political decisions that move you closer to it. This is not one of them,” said Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak.
The plan “is not an obstacle to European integration,” Serbian Trade Minister Rasim Ljajic said in response.
He also said that the warning from the European Commission will not affect Serbia’s decision to conclude this agreement in Moscow.
The EU cannot dictate which groups Serbia joins while it is not a member, but it would like to see greater commitment to membership, especially after a progress report earlier this year showed Serbia was only partially aligning its foreign policy and security policy with EU policy.
Serbian leaders have said EU membership is a goal they hope to achieve around the middle of the next decade. At the same time, Serbia has historical and religious ties with Russia, which helps it prevent further recognition of Kosovo by international bodies. Russia has also donated fighter jets and tanks to Serbia, and Serbian leaders, including President Aleksandar Vucic, frequently visit Moscow.
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