Poštovani Predsedniče/ Predsedniče Vlade/ Predsednice Skupštine

Dragi Ambasadori,

Dragi gosti i prijatelji, 

Dobrodošli!

On this very day, 74 years ago, driven by the desire to prevent another devastating war but to also lay the foundations for a more united and prosperous Europe, French Foreign Affairs Minister Robert Schuman put forward the proposal that changed Europe ever since, and led to what we know today as the European Union.

74 years later, the initial Coal and Steel organisation became a 27 Members and 450 million inhabitants strong European Union, proud of its values, enriched by its diversity and open to integrate other European countries.

The Schuman  led the foundation of our Union, it created the conditions and foundations of a place we call today home, our European home that we celebrate today in Belgrade.

Dame i gospodo, vaše excelencije,

poštovani gosti i prijatelji,

Europe is our home. Evropa je naša kuća. A home of democratic values, where democracy is an essential pillar of our European identity, protection of minorities and human rights, non-discrimination, media pluralism, rule of law, are some of our trademarks. Participation, compromise and dialogue are part of our operating system.

A month from today, from 6 to 9 June, in a key moment for European democracies, European citizens will vote in one of the largest election in the world and contribute to set the political priorities of the European Union for the next five years.

Europe is our home. Evropa je naša kuća. A home of prosperity for all our citizens. This month we celebrate 20 years from which our family grew bigger. In May 2004, the citizens of Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia became citizens of the European Union. Since then, their citizens have enjoyed freedom of movement across a larger political, economic and cultural Union.

The economy of the Union has since grown by 27%. Real wages have doubled from 2004 to 2023 in the 10 new Member States and poverty levels have halved.

Joining the European Union did not result in losing own identity.  Polish, Slovak and Hungarian citizens have remained as Polish, Slovak and Hungarian as before. My fellow Ambassadors here are also evidence of this. On the contrary, it meant not less, but more! More innovations, more public and private investments, more benefits from the free movement of goods, services, capital and people, higher standards and, overall, greater opportunities, including for the young people! 2.7 million students from the 10 new Member States took part in Erasmus+ programme, embracing the opportunity to discover and learn abroad.

Europe is our home. Evropa je naša kuća. A home ensuring the protection of its citizens and their living standards.

Over the past 20 years, the European Union has made significant strides on social rights, health and environmental protection,  helping to improve the overall quality of people’s lives. Today, nature is better preserved, cities have cleaner air and privacy is protected across the Union. Solidarity between EU Member States has also increased, with Member States giving vital assistance to each other when disasters such as floods or forest fires hit. And I have to say, I would also thank to Serbia who also contributed to this protection of our citizens.

This has led to a significant raise in the quality of life in the 10 new Member States.The average life expectancy has climbed from 75 years to 79,closing the gap with the EU-27 average of 81 years.

Europe is our home. Evropa je naša kuća. A home that cooperates with other partners in an increasingly complex and challenging world. With 27 Member States, the EU has become a stronger geopolitical player. To rally the world to take actions on climate change, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, or to support democracy. In this respect, we count on Serbia, to be a reliable partner,  sharing our destiny and the vision on the world stage, and advance, together.

Against the backdrop of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression of Ukraine, the EU and our Member States have worked together to deliver support to the Ukrainian people. The EU has also granted temporary protection to more than 4.1 million of Ukrainian refugees. I would like today to pay respect to the courage of the Ukrainian people that continues to stand strong and reiterate that EU stands with them as long as it takes.

I would also like here to thank Serbia and Serbian citizens for the support provided to Ukraine and Ukrainian citizens.

Beyond, the EU has also been a world leading humanitarian donor. We provide support not only in Ukraine, but in Gaza,  Sudan, and in other parts of the world. We’ve also expanded our world trade, enabling us to create new opportunities abroad for our companies and our citizens. Since 2004, our global international trade has expanded by EUR 3 trillion – reaching last year EUR 5 trillion.

Europe is our home. Evropa je naša kuća. A home open to welcome new countries..

Last October, in Granada, the EU leaders reaffirmed that Enlargement is a geo-strategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity, requiring the EU to be ready to welcome new Member States.

Candidate countries need to step up  reforms, while the EU is starting ispreparations to welcome new members in the coming years.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused fundamental changes in our continent. Ukraine, Moldova or Georgia are now candidate countries. There truly is a new momentum for Enlargement, a new window of opportunity that needs to be seized by Serbia and all the Western Balkans.

Our Growth Plan, together with  Reform and Growth Facility which is worth EUR 6 Bn which was adopted a few days ago, will provide extensive additional support on the accession path of Serbia as well as other Western Balkan countries.

Together with our support under IPA, which has already delievered over EUR 4 Bn to Serbia in the last 10 years in grants, we will have achieved the same aid intensity per capita in Serbia that Member States are benefitting from the EU cohesion policy. In other words, the EU has started treating Serbia as a Member State, opening up opportunities available to our own citizens.

Dame i gospodo, vaše excelencije, poštovani gosti i prijatelji,

The European Union is fully committed to supporting Serbia and its citizens join our home, its European home, where it rightfully belongs.

This requires sustained efforts to reform the country, political will to implement them and address even the more difficult issues in the process.

I look forward in this regard engaging with the new Serbian Government, and would like to thank the Prime Minister for being with us today, including in the context of the ongoing Reform Agenda preparations.

We count on Serbian authorities, on Serbian organisations, and on Serbian citizens to join us to further build together our European home.

Serbia is a beautiful country, with a rich history and rich tradition. Serbian people are industrious, generous and ingenious. Serbia has much to contribute to the EU, our common home.

 Join us to further build together our European home of democratic values for all our citizens.

Join us to further build together our European home of prosperity for us, our children and their children.

 Join us to further build together our European home, a home that ensures the protection of our citizens, their interests and their living standards.

Join us to further build together our European home, a home that can cooperate with other organisations and other countries in an increasingly complex and challenging world. 

And join us, to further build together our European home, a home open to welcome new European members so as to forge, together, our common European destiny.

Evropa je naša kuća! I uvek smo bolji zajedno.

Hvala puno i srećan Dan Evrope!