Balkans

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with North Macedonian PM Hristijan Mickoski in Belgrade on Friday to discuss strengthening of relations and common initiatives for a more stable future for citizens, as well as economic projects.

BELGRADE - The UK's Ambassador to Serbia Edward Ferguson said on Wednesday now was the right time to develop trade ties between the UK and the Western Balkans and that the volume of trade between the UK and the region had been on a constant increase in the past decade.

BUDAPEST - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said at the European Political Community Summit in Budapest on Thursday the EU needed to change its strategy on the entire Western Balkans, as well as on Serbia, and make strategic decisions on enlargement.

"I think that we should discuss strategic issues," noted Vucic, who was one of the six main speakers at the summit.

BUDAPEST - On the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit in Budapest, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with several senior officials to discuss the place and the role of Western Balkan states in the global political reality, as well as current issues.

BELGRADE - Hungary will do everything it can to ensure a soonest possible EU accession of Serbia because it believes no long-term stability can be achieved without EU integration in the Western Balkans, Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok said in Belgrade on Monday.

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Economy Adrijana Mesarovic said on Thursday Serbia maintained significant economic cooperation with BRICS member states, which she noted accounted for 45 pct of the world's population and 27 pct of the world's gross product.

"There is absolutely a place for Serbia in such markets, too," Mesarovic told RT Balkans.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen began a tour of the Western Balkan countries on Wednesday, assuring them that the enlargement of the trade bloc remained one of its priorities.

BRUSSELS - The European Commission on Wednesday approved the reform agendas of five Western Balkan partners including Serbia, paving the way for disbursement of funds from a 6 bln euro Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans.

During his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, President Rumen Radev emphasized the need for Bulgaria to reclaim its influential position in the Balkans. He noted that Bulgaria was the first nation to recognize Bosnia and Herzegovina's independence and questioned the current state of Bulgaria's involvement in regional affairs.

Last week Turkish President Erdogan set out on a tour of the Balkans, visiting Albania and Serbia. The tour kicked off in Albania, with Erdogan gifting a number of drones and inaugurating the largest mosque in the Balkans - which was funded by Turkey. The second leg took him to Serbia, where Turkey made a diplomatic comeback in 2017.