(13 May 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Belgrade, Serbia - 13 May 2025
1. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and European Council president Antonio Costa during the welcoming ceremony
2. Various of Vucic and Costa during the welcoming ceremony
3. Vucic and Costa arriving for a meeting
4. Various of Vucic and Costa during the meeting
5. Vucic and Costa arriving for a news conference
6. Vucic and Costa during the news conference
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Costa, European Council president:
”We are living a positive momentum in the European Union for enlargement. And this is a clear opportunity for Serbia to build upon it. The European Union remains strongly committed to the accession of Serbia as a stable, peaceful, prosperous country, having dealt with legacy of the past and having chosen to embrace its democratic and European future. And I was glad to hear that the European Union integration remains a top priority for you and for the new government. “
8. Serbian and EU flag
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Costa, European Council president:
”I think that it is very important to clarify what means the visit of President Aleksandar Vucic to Moscow last week. As he explained to me, it was a moment to celebrate an event from the past but in the present Serbia is fully committed with the European accession process and Serbia knows that for this we need to have a full alignment in our common foreign and security policy.”
10. Vucic and Costa during the news conference
11.SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Costa, European Council president:
”A lot of people asked me not to come. But I decided to come. Because if we have a problem with Serbia, if we have a problem with President Vucic, the solution is not 'don’t come', it is not 'don’t talk with President Vucic', it is to come to have talks, to explain different point of views, and now we can reaffirm, and it is very important to hear from him, to publicly reaffirm that he is fully committed with European Union and with the European accession path.”
12. Serbian flag
13. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian President:
You have our word, dear Mr. President, that we will work hard , that we will make an additional effort to faster get closer to the European Union. What I ask you is to understand sometimes Serbia’s position and, as you did, want to hear and listen to us.”
14. Vucic and Costa shaking hands and leaving
STORYLINE:
European Council president Antonio Costa on Tuesday criticized Serbia populist president's trip to Russia's Victory Day parade last week but said he got assurances that the troubled Balkan nation nonetheless will remain on the path toward European Union accession.
Costa said in Belgrade - at the start of his tour of six Western Balkan membership hopefuls - that “a lot of people asked me not to come” to Serbia after populist President Aleksandar Vucic's trip to Moscow. “But I decided to come... I think it’s very important to clarify what means the visit of Presisdent Aleksandar Vucic to Moscow last week."
Vucic, Costa said, “explained to me it was a moment to celebrate an event from the past."
Costa said he understood Serbia's position but added that an event marking liberation 80 years ago cannot be celebrated whilst the invasion of another country today is not condemned.
Now, Costa said, “we can reaffirm, and it’s important to hear from him to publicly reaffirm, that he is fully committed with the European Union and with the accession path.”
AP Video shot by Ivana Bzganovic
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Video at Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1_n_7CY8z4