Bilčik's response to Vučić

Bilčik's response to Vučić

President of Serbia sent that message after Bilčik stated on June 13 that the joint military exercise of Serbia with Belarus and Russia does not help Serbia's progress in European integration.

I am a politician as well as Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, said Bilčik, adding that he believes that it is important to have an open and honest conversation on topics that can be difficult sometimes.

He reminds that this week the sanctions will be discussed, which will be targeted by the authorities in Belarus "after the state terrorism that made the kidnapping of the EU flight between the two EU countries, Athens and Vilnius by the Belarusian forces".

"My statement was that while we are talking about an important interstate conference to be held on June 22, holding a military exercise at that time with Russian and Belarusian special forces in Russia is a signal that a number of member states will not look positive on that", Bilčik said.

He notes that he is only trying to openly convey the mood in Brussels on that issue. "My task as the European Parliament's Rapporteur for Serbia is to work openly and in a constructive way, on relations between Belgrade and Brussels, between Serbia and the European Union institutions. My comment was given as a friendly message, which underlined that this is an important issue. I would never question what Serbia decides to do, because Serbia is a sovereign state and it is a free choice of Serbia", Bilčik said.

He added, however, that it was important to point out that some of these choices could have consequences when it comes to what he considers, and what the Serbian government also considers a strategic decision, and that is accession and EU membership. In that sense, he notes that the issue of foreign policy and its harmonization with the EU is something that member states take into account when making decisions.

"Enlargement of the EU and joining the Union, after all, is about adapting a country to EU activities. Of course, we know that, when we talk about foreign and security policy, adjusting Serbia was a challenging task," Bilčik said. He notes that Serbia is a country that is developing relations with other countries outside the EU. "We also have member states in the EU that are (militarily) neutral, but no EU member state conducts military exercises with Russia or Belarus," Bilčik said, adding that this is an area where some red lines must be drawn, given that relations between the EU and Moscow are at a very low level, and that relations between Brussels and Belarus are frozen, after what the EU considers a case of rigged elections in which Lukashenko won.

"We do not consider Lukashenko a legitimate leader of Belarus. That is our political position," Bilčik concluded, adding that he appreciates Serbia's position on the EU when it comes to Belarus, because, as he states, it is important that relations with different countries be developed in accordance with some hierarchy. If a country wants to join the EU, it is a strategic choice, it is not a one-time event", he pointed out.