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Fico: Serbia is ready to join the EU, the V4 could expand to include Serbia

by AI | 22.Nov 2024 | Europe in brief AI

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico proposed to expand the V4 group to include Serbia during his visit to Belgrade.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, after meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, proposed to expand the V4 to include Serbia. Photo: TASR

Belgrade/Bratislava – Serbia is ready for membership in the European Union, but this process is slowed by the application of double standards against it, said Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in an interview published on Friday for the Serbian state television RTS, reports TASR.

According to Fico, based on Slovakia’s experience, it is necessary to make decisions in the interest of the citizens and avoid mistakes that some countries made before entering the EU. The Slovak Prime Minister also spoke in favor of establishing a collaboration format similar to the Visegrad Group (V4) between Slovakia, Hungary, and Serbia.

The Prime Minister highlighted the communication with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, which he considers good because all three are in ideological agreement and advocate for “sovereign policy.”

He commended the Serbian political leadership for what Belgrade has done in the interest of protecting the EU’s borders. During the next year, when Slovakia will chair the Visegrad Group, he wants to open discussions on Serbia’s accession and the creation of a V5 format as soon as possible, announced Fico.

He also expressed support for cooperation with Serbia in the field of nuclear energy. As he added, Slovakia is ready to share its long-standing experience with Serbia in “building, modernizing, and decommissioning” nuclear power plants.

In the interview for RTS, Fico reiterated that he is against recognizing the independence of Kosovo, “because someone cannot just come and declare independence.” He also assured that Serbia will have Slovakia’s full support in its accession to the EU, but refused to speculate on a possible admission date due to the stance of some “major players in the EU.”

The Slovak Prime Minister also confirmed his intention for Serbian television to travel with Vučić to Moscow in May 2025 on Russia’s invitation to the occasion of the Victory Day over Fascism. (November 22)

“Someone cannot just come and declare independence,” Robert Fico on the subject of Kosovo.