French President Emmanuel Macron said today that he is arriving in Belgrade with a simple message – The European Union and its member states need a strong and democratic Serbia in their ranks, and Serbia needs a strong and sovereign EU to protect its interests, TANYUG reported, quoted by BTA.
Today, the French president arrives on an official visit to Serbia at the invitation of his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic. The two are expected to discuss topics related to the economy, healthcare, energy, culture and artificial intelligence. During the visit, a number of agreements will be signed.
„Like France, I am convinced, Serbia aspires to independence and sovereignty, which only the EU, possessing the means of its strategic autonomy, can provide. We will achieve this strategic autonomy by ensuring our security and strengthening our defense cooperation, Macron said in an op-ed published in the Serbian newspaper Politika.
He noted that strategic autonomy will also be built “in the field of industry in all sectors where we can unite to be more resilient in the face of relentless international competition – in the fields of critical raw materials, medicines and artificial intelligence, for example“.
„Serbia has a key role here for an enlarged and strengthened European Union”, Macron emphasized. “Only as part of the EU, a union of sovereign states that share the same vision for the future, can Serbia remain Serbia”.
He concluded that the EU remains “one of the staunchest defenders against populism, demagoguery and extremism, as well as the only space of economic prosperity”.