Serbia is diversifying its energy supplies beyond Russia and is already in talks to purchase natural gas through the European Union’s joint mechanism, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić told Reuters.
Vučić said he understands the EU’s policy towards Russian energy sources, adding that Serbia “has to adapt its energy policy to certain requirements”, N1 reported, citing the FoNet news agency.
“The aim is to secure a fifth of our gas needs via a joint initiative with the EU”
“We still have large reserves of Russian gas, but we are increasingly buying from Europeans,” Vučić said, adding that Serbia’s goal is to secure 500 million cubic metres of gas per year, around a fifth of its needs, through the EU joint initiative, which it joined last year.
Serbia, an EU candidate, is one of the remaining European buyers of Russian natural gas and meets almost 80 per cent of its needs in this way, the British news agency reports, adding that Serbia is under pressure from the EU to find alternatives in order to reduce Russia’s cash inflow for the war in Ukraine. Vučić says that Serbia already buys gas from Azerbaijan via Bulgaria, and that the construction of a gas pipeline to North Macedonia, which, according to him, will begin this year, would enable the inflow of liquefied natural gas from Greece.
Vučić also stressed that he is committed to the idea of Serbia’s EU membership, explaining that the economic situation has improved.
“There is no doubt, as long as I am president, Serbia will stay on the European path,” Vučić claims.
Vučić doesn’t rule out the possibility of staying in politics after his term ends
Reuters reports that the EU is asking Serbia to strengthen the rule of law, media freedom, and intensify the fight against organised crime and corruption if it wants to become a member.
Critics say that recent amendments to judicial laws will reduce the independence of the judiciary and thus make Serbia’s accession to the Union more difficult, Reuters notes.
Vučić stressed that the authorities are ready to carefully review the set of judicial laws together with European bodies. Reuters points out that Vučić, described as a populist, suffered a strong political blow following the collapse of a canopy at the railway station in Novi Sad in 2024, when 16 people were killed.
The Serbian president admits that corruption is a problem in Serbia and that he himself is dissatisfied with efforts to eradicate it.
“This is about corruption in our state institutions, including politicians,” he adds.
Vučić’s second and final presidential term ends in 2027, and he says that snap elections will be held this year. He stressed that he is not sure what he will do next, but did not rule out the possibility of returning to party politics or taking on the post of prime minister.
“I would like to be less involved in politics or not involved in it at all, but concern for my legacy may require some kind of engagement. We’ll see,” Vučić concluded.
(Nedeljnik, 05.02.2026)