European Union Ambassador Emanuele Giaufret said on Thursday that the Union knows that Serbia is faced with specific circumstances over the war in Ukraine but expects Belgrade to align with its foreign policy.

“We appreciate the fact that Serbia supported the 141 UN member states who lent their support to the victims and condemned Russia for this attack. We appreciate the fact that Serbia has stated clearly that it supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity. We also appreciated the fact that Serbia has joined in providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine, adopting the same package of measures as the EU did. It also respects the large number of declarations that the EU adopted on the conflict,” Giaufret told the Serbian state TV (RTS).

He added that Serbia is expected to align with EU foreign policy as a candidate country. “We know that Serbia has a specific history and that it is in specific circumstances. We are constantly talking to the government about gradually aligning with EU policies,” the EU Delegation chief said.

“We think that preserving peace and stability in this part of the world is very important and we don’t see why the citizens of the Balkans should pay the price for Russia’s aggression. It’s important for them all to be safe and conviced that peace and stability will be maintained,” he said.

Giaufret said that the Western Balkans, including Serbia, are part of Europe. “We want the countries of the Western Balkans to become EU members, Serbia to become a member and we have to step up efforts on reforms which will take Serbia into the European family,” he said.