Serbia to Launch Joint Drone Factory with Israel in September

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced plans to open a new drone manufacturing plant in collaboration with Israel around September 15 or 20. He made the announcement during a joint press conference in Belgrade with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, emphasizing that no military cooperation discussions took place at the meeting. Vučić stated, "We did not talk about any military cooperation at this time. What will happen after the war ends is another story."

Regarding Ukraine's bid to join the European Union, Vučić expressed skepticism about consensus within the EU to accelerate new memberships. He noted the current political climate and deep crises in key EU countries make Serbia's near-term accession unlikely, despite Serbia's full support for Ukraine.

Vučić highlighted Serbia's strong economic performance, reporting the highest GDP growth rate in Europe at 3.5% in the first half of the year, with an expected 4.5% growth next year. He also underscored the importance of the upcoming Expo event and Ukraine's participation. On the ongoing war in Ukraine, Vučić remarked that the international community desires a swift end to the conflict but sees no clear path to peace currently, expressing concern about the approaching winter.