Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Saturday, August 31, that Serbia is unlikely to join the European Union by 2028.
Speaking at the Globsec security conference in Prague, Vucic said, "I don't believe we are going to be a part of the European Union in 2028. It's not going to happen (EU membership), I don't lie to my people," as per Reuters.
He added, "And I believe that if some of us might become members of the EU it cannot happen before 2030, but that is just my assessment. What might happen in the meantime, nobody knows."
To join the EU, Serbia must improve its democracy, rule of law, judiciary, economy, and address corruption and organized crime.
Serbia has been managing its EU aspirations while relying on Russia for gas and receiving support from Moscow against Kosovo's 2008 independence.
Moreover, Serbia has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and supplied artillery to Kyiv.
However, to progress towards EU membership, Serbia needs to align its foreign policies with EU standards, including imposing sanctions on Russia and making other required adjustments.
