Serbia and Ukraine Pledge to Strengthen Economic Cooperation

AFP

Ukrainian and Serbia presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Aleksandar Vučić.

The presidents of Serbia and Ukraine pledged to deepen economic cooperation on Saturday, with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić reaffirming his country's support for Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity.

Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his two-day visit to Belgrade, Vučić said Serbia was committed to expanding economic ties between the two countries.

The visit marks Zelenskyy's first trip to Serbia since taking office in 2019, although Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska, visited Belgrade in 2024.

Vučić, who is expected to face early elections in the coming months, continues to balance Serbia's ambition to join the European Union with its longstanding political and economic ties to Russia.

While Belgrade condemned Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it has declined to impose sanctions on Moscow and remains heavily dependent on Russian natural gas.

Vučić, who most recently met Zelenskyy in Kyiv on 15 July, reiterated Serbia's support for Ukraine's internationally recognised territorial integrity, including territories occupied by Russia since 2014.

For its part, Ukraine has continued to withhold recognition of Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence, maintaining a position that aligns with Serbia's claim that Kosovo remains part of its sovereign territory.

"You have never heard a single bad word about our country, neither from Volodymyr Zelenskiy nor anyone else (in Ukraine), ‌and I ⁠am extremely grateful to our Ukrainian friends for that," Vučić said.

He added that he was sceptical that either Serbia or Ukraine would achieve rapid accession to the European Union (EU), but that Belgrade would support Kyiv's bid to join the bloc.

Both President Aleksandar Vučić and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said their countries aim to strengthen economic cooperation and finalise a free trade agreement by the end of the year.

The agreement is regarded as an important step in Serbia's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and a key requirement for its eventual accession to the European Union. Negotiations have been stalled since 2005, with Ukraine raising concerns over agricultural quotas and tariffs.

Zelenskiy said he and Vučić ⁠discussed joint infrastructure projects and cooperation on energy and food security for the upcoming winter in Ukraine, heavily hit by Russian attacks on energy facilities.

“We are developing all formats of cooperation which can give our people ... ⁠more resilience,” Zelenskiy said.



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