Aleksandar Vučić says EU enlargement unlikely soon as Balkan leaders meet in Belgrade

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić told a two‑day conference of parliamentary presidents from the EU‑candidate Western Balkans that he is not optimistic about a rapid expansion of the European Union. He warned that no major EU enlargement decisions are expected in the next few years and that Serbia’s accession would be meaningless unless neighbours such as North Macedonia and Bosnia‑Herzegovina also progress.

Vučić emphasized the need for deeper regional cooperation, noting lingering issues from the 1990s and the lack of free movement of people, goods and capital in the Balkans. He also pointed out that a few EU member states – two or three – are strongly opposed to opening “Cluster 3” (competitiveness and inclusive growth) in Serbia’s accession talks.

Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefančuk attended the Belgrade event, the first such visit in 15 years, and praised Serbia’s support for Ukraine while calling the EU‑Balkans partnership a platform for collaboration. The conference gathered parliamentary leaders from all candidate countries, including Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia‑Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Moldova and Georgia, to exchange experiences on the EU path.