EU Remains Serbia's Goal, Says Prime Minister-Elect

Prime minister-elect Milos Vucevic told the Serbian parliament on May 1 that membership in the European Union remains the country’s strategic goal but said “burdens” introduced into the membership process “cannot be ignored.”

Vucevic, leader of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), said EU expectations are tied to Serbia "humiliating" itself by recognizing Kosovo's independence and joining sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

In a three-hour speech to parliament setting out his government’s priorities, Vucevic, who named his cabinet on April 30, said Serbia will maintain its policy of not joining the sanctions.

"There is no doubt that pressures will continue, and probably intensify, but our commitment to stay in the same positions remains," he said.

Serbia “cannot and will not give up its friendship with Russia, whose people we consider fraternal, just as we do with Ukrainians,” he said, noting that Serbia has condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine and considers the territorial integrity of Ukraine inviolable.

He described his cabinet as a "government of continuity" of Serbian policies and said Belgrade's foreign policy will be guided by the existing principles of political independence and military neutrality.

Vucevic emphasized the importance of Serbia’s partnership with China, saying a trade agreement would open doors to Serbian entrepreneurs.

"Despite conflicting views from many in the West, China represents a friendly state, a partner, and a reliable ally in defending our territorial integrity," he said, adding that he looks forward to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit on May 7-8.

Serbia is also committed to building the best relations with the United States, he said.

"Where there are disagreements, as with Kosovo and Metohija, we will reiterate our position [and] work to make our American partners hear and understand us," Vucevic said, using the Serbian name for its former province.

Vucevic reiterated that Serbia has never questioned the territorial integrity of neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina, stating Serbia will be a partner for everyone who wants to work on strengthening the Dayton peace accords that ended the Bosnian War and established two entities -- Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat federation -- under a weak central government.

"No one can forbid us from loving the Republika Srpska,” he said, referring to the entity dominated by ethnic Serbs. “No one will impose guilt or the stigma of a genocidal people on us," he said in an apparent reference to a proposed UN resolution that would declare July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance for the Genocide.

The genocide near Srebrenica in 1995 of more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces has been deemed genocide by various international courts. Serbia has voiced strong opposition to the resolution.

Vucevic also mentioned Serbia’s relations with other Balkan countries. There are numerous challenges in Serbia’s relations with Croatia, but he said Serbians in Croatia will always be able to rely on their home country, “which will help them not only financially but also culturally and thus prevent their assimilation."

Speaking about relations with Montenegro, he said that throughout history, "no one has been closer to Montenegro than Serbia and there is no reason for it not to be so again," adding that Serbia will not dispute Montenegro's statehood.

The prime minister-designate said that one of the priorities of the new government will be to strengthen the standard of living, and special attention would be paid to pensioners. He also announced that the future government would continue with intensive investments in the Serbian armed forces.

The new government was announced four and a half months after elections in which the SNS won a majority in parliament.

Opposition coalitions Serbia Against Violence and NADA (Hope) have accused the coalition led by the SNS of electoral theft in the December 17 vote, and numerous irregularities were identified by both international and domestic observer missions.

Serbian authorities have repeatedly denied that there were any serious electoral irregularities.