East-West: A conversation with Marko Đurić, Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs

Belgrade’s foreign policy has traditionally sought to balance relations between East and West, including the EU, China, Russia and the US. Nonetheless, the unprecedented security challenges caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine have raised the stakes in favour of unity between the EU and Serbia in areas like energy, security and defence, while relaunching the EU enlargement process, which has gained renewed momentum.

The new Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko Đurić, on the occasion of his first official visit to Italy, shared his thoughts in conversation with Nathalie Tocci. Before being nominated Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko Đurić served as the Ambassador of Serbia to the United States of America and, previously, as Director of Belgrade’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

Below are some quotes made during the event:

“In the broader EU context, the first priority will be the completion of all reforms necessary for Serbia's accession to the European Union. Serbia can make a meaningful contribution to the European project”.

“EU enlargement is extremely important for Serbia to lasting friendship and a joint approach to global challenges. Of course, in practice, the EU has huge issues to deal with, but for Serbia, becoming a member of this club means becoming ready to face global challenges”.

“I think Italy is a key partner for Serbia and Balkan nations for EU enlargement, economic cooperation and regional stability. We are grateful that Italy does not have a double agenda for the Balkans. Italy has a leverage in Brussels and towards MS to emphasize the need for enlargement”.