Belgrade hosts parliamentary conference of EU candidate states

From 7 July 2026, the Palace Serbia in Belgrade became the venue for a two‑day Conference of Presidents of Parliaments of the European Union candidate countries. The opening ceremony was led by Serbian National Assembly speaker Ana Brnabić and Ruslan Stepanuk, head of Ukraine’s Supreme Rada. Delegates included parliamentary leaders from the candidate nations, Serbia’s minister for European integration Nemanja Starović, the EU delegation’s deputy head Plamena Halačeva and ambassadors from several EU member states.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić addressed the gathering, stressing that candidate states should act as partners rather than competitors in the EU accession process, reaffirming Serbia’s reform agenda and its commitment to deeper European cooperation. He also fielded questions about the dispute over the Serbian language in Montenegro, describing the controversy as expected and criticizing the Montenegrin regime’s stance.

The conference aims to strengthen inter‑parliamentary dialogue, share reform experiences and build lasting partnerships among the aspirant nations as they advance toward EU membership.