Prime Minister Ana Brnabić said today, opening the 7th EU-South East Europe Summit “Sustainable Recovery in the Balkans? – Serbia is in the leading role”, that it is in the interest of our country to become a member of the European Union as soon as possible, as well as to implement the reforms for the citizens and the economy, and not for the Union.
Brnabić expressed her gratitude to London’s magazine “The Economist” for the organisation of the Belgrade conference because, she said, this is a great promotion of our capital and country, but also because topics such as the Balkans, Europe, solutions to political disputes for the improvement of business and economic ties are of strategic importance for both Serbia and the region.
The Prime Minister said that the key priority of the region is to join the European Union, to which all the countries of the Western Balkans aspire, adding that the difference is that not all countries intend to become NATO members.
Serbia is not on the Euro-Atlantic path. We do not want to become a NATO member, although we have a high degree of cooperation for a country outside the EU, through the Partnership for Peace, said the Prime Minister.
She said that the first reason for our wish to become a member of the European Union is peace, as the EU is primarily a peace project for us.
This is the first and primary reason. Europe was a peace project and as such was successful. The rest of Europe had seven decades of peace, the longest ever, and this peace project must be extended to the Balkans. Peace and stability are the first reasons for our desire for EU membership, Brnabić said.
She also added that we also want to share the values and standards of the EU, such as the rule of law, transparent and effective public administration, which leads to the attraction of foreign investments, larger funds, cheaper loans, and ultimately a more successful economy.