Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic insisted that he will not go on repeating, “like a parrot”, that his country has no other alternative than the European Union. Speaking at the Mini Schengen summit in Ohrid, an initiative which is itself as a meager alternative to the EU after the Balkan countries were snubbed by France, Vucic said that he will soon have a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss what prospects the Balkan countries have now.

His “parrot” comment followed after Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said, during the joint press conference, that Macedonia has no other alternative than the EU.

I have no intention to repeat, for hundred times like a parrot, that Serbia has no other alternative than EU membership. That depends on the will of the EU. I will not apologize myself for anything. We call on the EU to tell us what it wants from us, nothing more, Vucic said.

Vucic meets Macron in Paris on Tuesday. This visit will be followed by Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski who, like Zaev, also asked for an audience with Macron after the French President blocked the opening of EU accession talks with Macedonia and Albania, and will likely complicate the EU path for Serbia and Montenegro as well, who are already conducting accession talks.

I had an excellent, long meeting with President Macron when he was in Belgrade and I want to hear from him now directly what his plans are for the future, Vucic said. He added that he will ask Macron for his support for the Mini Schengen initiative as well.