Macron's Belgrade visit, day 2 (B92, TV N1, Fonet, Serbian media)

President of France Emmanuel Macron continues his visit to Serbia, meeting with the students from the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO). Accompanied by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Macron will talk to the representatives of Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), the project within Berlin Process.

Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) is an independently functioning institutional mechanism, founded by the Western Balkans 6 participants (WB 6): Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, aiming to promote the spirit of reconciliation and cooperation between the youth in the region through youth exchange programs.

Official meetings within Macron's two-day visit were held yesterday, when Macron and Vucic had laid wreaths at the Monument of Belgrade's Defenders and the grave of Milunka Savic, a Serbian highly decorated war heroine who fought in the Balkan Wars and in World War I (holder of Order of chivalry of St Michael and St George). TV N1 said Macron insisted to visit her grave.

After that, they headed to the Monument of Gratitude to France at the Belgrade's central Kalemegdan Park, where the French President greeted gathered people in Serbian, saying that France would never forget what Serbia did for it during the First World War.

“Thank you for coming here in this great number what for we are, believe us, deeply grateful. You show that the inscription on this monument ‘Love France as it loved us’ is still alive a hundred years after,” Macron told a gathered mass. He added it was his turn to say “France will never forget.”

Fonet news agency also reported that representatives of Serbia and their guests from France who arrived as a part of the French President Emmanuel Macron’s delegation signed 18 deals on Monday, including agreements on the delivery of Mistral missiles, an infrared homing MANPAD, and a letter on intentions for the realization of the Belgrade Metro.

Meanwhile, President Vucic said on Monday he has never had such a long and frank conversation as with the French President Emmanuel Macron in Belgrade and he hoped that “strong France” would help Serbia in the future, TV N1 reported.

“I listened to President Macron’s words on all important issues; I learned a lot from him. I told him about our problems, primarily regarding Kosovo… I was telling the truth, and I pledged with him that France helps Serbia on its EU path and in solving the Kosovo issue,” Vucic told a joint news conference after the meeting.

President Macron told reporters he would organize a special Belgrade–Pristina meeting with the participation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, adding his country would support the resumption of the dialogue and that he would be engaged out of respect for Serbia. “We were frank regarding Kosovo,” Macron said.

He added that the EU responsibility was to support searching for a compromise and establish stability. “There are some outside forces which don’t want a solution,” Macron added but did not say which forces he had in mind, TV N1 reported.

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