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EU's Michel says will support Serbia's speedier accession to EU May 19, 20227:10 PM GMT+2Last Updated 14 hours ago 3 minutes _____ European Council President Charles Michel announce a joint statement with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the prime minister's official residence, in Tokyo, Japan May 12, 2022. Yoshikazu Tsuno/Pool via REUTERS Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com BELGRADE, May 19 (Reuters) - European Council President Charles Michel said on Thursday the European Union would support a speedier accession of Serbia into the wealthy bloc and help the Balkan country dependent on Russian gas and oil to diversify its energy supplies. "We need to speed up EU integration and we must create incentive for reforms," Michel said in Belgrade, his first stop on a tour of western Balkan countries, at a joint news conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Until the accession procedure is finalised, western Balkan countries should cooperate with the 27-member bloc as part of a new geopolitical community, a transitional political platform that Michel has proposed for the EU aspirant countries. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com He said the new platform would not replace EU membership but would be a useful tool for the EU to discuss common challenges with Balkan countries, such as the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, Europe's key gas supplier. Michel said the EU would help EU candidate Serbia, which is almost entirely dependent on Russian gas and oil supplies, to diversify its gas supplies. Vucic told the same news conference that Michel strongly urged Serbia, the only country in Europe that has not imposed sanctions against Russia, to join EU sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine, which Russia calls a "special military operation". Vucic, who has repeatedly complained about a pressure by world powers on Serbia over its refusal to join sanctions against its traditional Orthodox Christian and Slavic ally Russia, said he explained Serbia's stance on the matter to Michel but failed to elaborate. read more <https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/serbia-under-pressure-shift-stance-russia-president-says-2022-03-02/> Serbia is performing a delicate balancing act between its European aspirations, partnership with NATO and its centuries-old alliance with Russia, but many in Europe say that it is high time for it to choose the side. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo Editing by Mark Potter Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. <https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/about-us/trust-principles.html> -- http:www.antic.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SERBIAN NEWS NETWORK" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/senet/038901d86c14%24e86ec970%24b94c5c50%24%40gmail.com.
