Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has pledged to keep the Balkan country on its European Union membership path as he was sworn in for a second term.
In his inaugural speech before lawmakers on May 31, Vucic said Serbia's priority will be joining the 27-member bloc and urged the coming government that will take over in July to step up efforts toward this goal.
Vucic, who did not specifically mention Belgrade's traditional ally, Russia, hinted that the new government might consider joining the sanctions regime that the West has imposed on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.
Serbia remains Europe's only country that has not joined sanctions against Russia, although it voted in favor of three United Nations resolutions condemning the invasion.
"Forming a new government is of utmost importance because of the situation we are in, a difficult situation," he said. "We will have to deal with new sanctions and stuff, which could damage us so we will ask our European partners to help us," Vucic said.
Vucic said he wants to take Serbia into the EU during his second term, after years of strengthening his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The opposition and foreign monitors said last month's election was far from free and fair. Political rivals have accused Vucic of autocratic tendencies.
Vucic on May 30 announced that he had secured an "extremely favorable" three-year natural-gas deal with Russia during a telephone conversation with Putin.