Madame Prime Minister Brnabic, Speaker Dacic, Mayor Vucevic, who is kindly hosting us today, Members of Government, Parliament, Armed Forces, Ambassadors, Representatives of the Diplomatic corps, Religious communities, Media and civil society,

Dobrodošli!

Dear friends,

Dear citizens of Serbia,

 Let me at the outset express my gratitude, through you Mayor, to the beautiful city of Novi Sad, that is hosting us today and had been hosting through the year a splendid program as the European Capital of Culture for 2022. We are extremely grateful for your hospitality and we admire the rich tradition, diverse architecture and economic dynamism of this great city that breaths European history at each corners of its streets.

 I would like to welcome everyone that came to celebrate Europe Day.

On this day, we celebrate the European Union. On this day, 72 years ago, Robert Schuman, explained that by pooling coal and steel together, pooling sovereignty together, war between France and Germany, between the European countries would become not only unthinkable, but also materially impossible.

The founding fathers of the European Union were motivated by the desire to establish a peaceful order in Europe based on the pillars of prosperity, democracy and freedom.

Fresh in their mind were the horrors of the second world war. The EU was established on the ashes of that terrible conflict and we celebrate these days the victory over Nazism and Fascism – achieved also thanks to the great sacrifices  of  the Serbian people, for which we will always be grateful.

Prosperity, peace, democracy and freedom – this are the great achievements of European Integration that step by step turned a continent devastated by the atrocities of the War and the holocaust, into a democratic, prosperous and peaceful Union for its citizens. A Union where solidarity prevails, where success of one country is good news for all its neighbours.

72 years later the EU is stronger and more united than ever. We are recovering from the Covid crisis. The European Commission has already distributed 100 billion euros from the recovery fund, promoting vast investments and securing millions of jobs in MS. We work hard to protect the climate and make our continent independent from imported fossil energies. We are creating rules to shape the digital age way beyond our borders.

This year, Celebrations however have a bitter taste. Peace in Europe was shattered by the unprovoked and unjustified Russian aggression against Ukraine. We encountered shadows of the past that we thought we had left behind. It is a watershed in European history. An atrocious war destroying cities and forcing millions of innocent civilians to flee their homes, and posing  a threat to the security and safety of all Europeans.

This is why the European Union stands by Ukraine. The Union can master the challenges posed by the war against Ukraine and we call all our close friends and partners to stand together to oppose this war of aggression.

And in this vein we welcome that Serbia joined EU Member States and the vast majority of countries of the world at the United Nations General Assembly to condemn the Russian aggression; we welcome its support to Ukraine’s territorial integrity; we welcome that Serbia joined the EU in offering  protection to Ukrainian  refugees and the recent pledge of humanitarian assistance.

Because we are stronger together, and we want Serbia to be together with us to confront this aggression and join all European efforts to put an to end to this war. We count on Serbia to be fully engaged on the side of peace.

Russia’s aggression showed how the European Union is more necessary than ever. Since the war started –new countries applied to join the European Union; Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, as they know that the European Union is the path to peace, prosperity, democracy and freedom.

This is also the choice that Serbia has already made and we warmly welcome it. You know it: the European Union and all its Member States have repeatedly asserted our love for Serbia and determination to have Serbia to join the European Union. We know that Serbia can bring much to the European Union, in terms of, creativity, competences, security, the energy and ingenuity of its people. There are many challenges ahead of us, and the EU counts on Serbia and its people. Its civil society, its entrepreneurs and scientists, its journalists, its elected representatives to name but a few. They all have a role to advance reforms to bring Serbia closer to the EU. They all can contribute to make our continent a better place. We are better together.

The EU remains fully engaged to continue our common work with Serbia to promote its accession process to the EU. We will make it a success, but we know there can be no shortcuts for any candidate – it is for Serbia to complete its journey and align with our common rules and polices Last December, we opened a cluster consisting of four new negotiation chapters on energy, environment and sustainable connectivity. It was a recognition of Serbia’s work to reform the country, and I want to specifically welcome the constitutional reform to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and I look forward to its full implementation.

There is indeed serious work ahead of us: we know where the difficulties lie and what reforms are needed – particularly in the area of Rule of Law to fight corruption and organised crime; to improve the environment for the media.

The continued engagement in the dialogue with Pristina. The need to align with EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, so relevant today as our Europe is shaken by a war of aggression.

We will work to align Serbia with EU environmental standards to provide better quality to the citizens of Serbia; strengthen energy security and increase renewables in the energy mix.

These are not easy tasks, but with every achievement, Serbia will become more modern, sustainable, and competitive, a better place for its citizens on the way to become a member of the European Union.

We are convinced of Serbia’s commitment to achieve it. Elections took place last month. We congratulate all the parties that took part in polls and we welcome the incoming National Assembly that reflects the political diversity of Serbia. We hope for dialogue to overcome polarisation and agreement among political forces on key objectives of the state, such as reforms towards the EU

We look forward to engage with the new parliament and a new government with a strong mandate to advance Serbia’s EU agenda.

Rest assured that the EU will remain Serbia’s best partner. Since Serbia’s EU choice, the EU has become by far Serbia’s first trade partner, its largest investor and biggest donor. We bring

  • Jobs through the private investment of EU companies and donations;
  • Together we offer chances for people to start their businesses, for example through the EU PRO projects which has helped hundreds of small companies to set up their business in Southern Serbia;
  • We offer opportunities for scientists to innovate, like the Bio-sense Institute here in Novi Sad which became a European Centre for excellence;
  • We provide financial support for thousands of Serbian farmers to modernise their farms, thanks to the IPARD programme;
  • We build infrastructure to help make Serbia greener, by building Waste Water Treatment Plants for example in Sabac and Nis to stop polluting Serbian rivers; to strengthening Serbia energy independence – for example though the gas interconnector with Bulgaria; and better connect Serbia to the European transport corridor, like the high-speed railway between Belgrade and Nis;
  • And let’s not forget the solidarity for thousands of Serbian refugees and IDPs that fled the wars in ex-Yugoslavia and whom the EU helped to rebuild a home in Serbia;

These are only few examples of the hundreds of projects on which Serbia and the EU are working together, every year, and that deliver great and concrete results for citizens and for the country. We need to communicate these results to every citizen because they deserve to know

Our partnership can continue growing. This is indeed the time to stand together. This is the time, dear friends, to collectively reaffirm, in words and in deeds, that the EU path is the only path ahead for a safer, democratic, free, prosperous, and sustainable Europe. We are better together.

Srbijo, možeš da računaš na Evropu / Serbia, you can count on EU.

Srbijo, Evropa računa na tebe / Serbia, Europe counts on you.

Živela Evropa, živela Srbija.