Montenegro currently has the strongest prospects of becoming the next country to join the European Union, while progress is also expected in the accession paths of Albania, Moldova and Ukraine, Serbian Parliament Deputy Speaker Elvira Kovač said.
Kovač, who also chairs the Serbian Parliament’s Committee on European Integration, said the EU has once again placed enlargement high on its political agenda. Speaking to RTS, she noted that candidate countries are expected to continue implementing reforms, strengthen the rule of law and align more closely with EU standards and foreign policy positions.
According to Kovač, Serbia must continue its reform process, harmonization with European standards and dialogue with Brussels, despite unresolved political issues. She said these expectations should serve as an additional incentive for Serbia to accelerate reforms.
Commenting on the EU’s demand for greater alignment with its common foreign and security policy, Kovač said the issue primarily refers to sanctions against Russia. She acknowledged that Serbia has a lower level of alignment with EU foreign policy compared to other candidate countries, but said the goal should be to gradually increase that percentage.
However, she added that Serbia has maintained its position of not imposing sanctions on Russia due to energy dependence and political considerations.
Kovač also referred to remarks by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who indicated that the issue of Transnistria would not block Moldova’s European path. Kovač said this could be interpreted as a positive signal for Serbia, as it shows that unresolved territorial disputes do not necessarily have to halt European integration.
Still, she emphasized that there are clear differences between Moldova’s situation and the issue of Kosovo.
The comments come as the EU continues to reassess its enlargement policy amid geopolitical shifts and growing pressure to integrate candidate countries from the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe.
