EU leader praises Serbia for its advances in EU membership bid despite growing Russian influence

Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on has praised the Serbian president for meeting  her and other European Union leaders instead of attending a Russia-organized summit of developing economies held earlier this week. Von der Leyen was also in Bosnia on Friday as part of a trip this week to aspiring EU member states in the Balkans designed to assure them that EU enlargement remains a priority for the 27-nation bloc. From Serbia, von der Leyen will travel to neighboring Kosovo and Montenegro. The Western Balkan countries — Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia — are at different stages in their applications for EU membership.