International research and data analysis company “YouGov” published a survey on EU countries’ affiliation towards the accession of Serbia and Kosovo to EU, Tanjug news agency reported.
The survey was conducted from 17 to 27 December last year, and included 8.535 respondents from seven countries Great Britain, Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway, the latter not being the member of the EU.
France must focus on the Western Balkans which have become “a diplomatic dead end”, French European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said, the Belgrade-based Beta news agency reported.
She told the French daily newspaper La Croix that the European Union has not engaged itself sufficiently in reinforcing the peace in the reigon.
“Things can either go in a good direction or in a bad one” but there can be no status quo, she said.
On Monday, Nathalie Loiseau, French Minister for European Affairs said ahead of her visit to Belgrade that the current situation in the EU did not allow enlargement under the satisfactory conditions.
The European Movement in Serbia Secretary-general Suzana Grubjesic told N1 on Wednesday that the European Union showed fatigue with the enlargement but added Serbia should continue with the reforms.
Serbia and the whole region are part of Europe, Serbian Minister of Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlovic said, commenting on a statement made by the French Minister for European Affairs Nathalie Loiseau. French Minister told Serbian press ahead of her visit here this week that "the current state of the EU does not allow for new accessions."
The current situation in the European Union does not allow enlargement under the satisfactory condition, Nathalie Loiseau, French Minister for European Affairs said ahead of her visit to Belgrade, the Beta news agency reported on Monday.
She said the May election would be crucial for the future of the EU.
French President Emanuel Macron should visit Serbia in the next couple of weeks, while a precise date should be known soon, Serbian media report.
This was stated by French Ambassador in Belgrade Frederic Mondoloni.
“I work hard on agreements with Belgrade regarding the new date, and I hope to propose a concrete date soon. I expect the visit to take place in the coming weeks,” Mondoloni told Vecernje Novosti daily.
Germany and France welcome good relations of Serbia and Russia as long as they do not contradict Serbia’s EU path.
German and French ambassadors to Serbia, Thomas Schieb and Frederic Mondoloni said this in an interview to Belgrade-based daily Blic, adding that Serbia could join the EU by 2025.
French Ambassador Mondoloni noted that Serbian authorities over the last couple of years made visible efforts to invite for visits and welcome leaders from the main partner states.
Retired French Colonel Jacques Hogard, who in 1999 protected Serbs in Kosovo after the withdrawal of the Yugoslav Army, met in Belgrade with Milos Jovanovic, leader of opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), BETA news agency reported.
According to a press release, Hogard and Jovanovic, discussed the situation in Kosovo, as well as the political situation in France and in the European Union.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had a phone conversation on Monday afternoon. The reason was Macron's wish to postpone his visit to Serbia due to the political crisis in France, Tanjug said it learned earlier in the day.
Macron was scheduled to visit Serbia on December 5-6.
Later on Monday, Vucic confirmed that the French president's visit had been postponed "because of the situation in France," without specifying a new date for it.
The Élysée Palace has officially announced the visit of French President Emanuel Macron to Serbia on 5th and 6th December, Tanjug news agency reports.
Some French media report on the planned visit as well, saying its main aim is to strengthen friendship between Paris and Belgrade.