Vucic Arrives in Tivat, Meets Mitsotakis Ahead of Summit
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic travelled to Montenegro for the EU and Western Balkans summit and held his first bilateral meeting, with the Greek prime minister.
- Vucic arrived in Tivat on June 4 at around 4.47 p.m. and confirmed his attendance at the EU and Western Balkans summit.
- On arrival he held his first bilateral meeting, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
- Meetings with Robert Fico, Christian Stocker and Micheal Martin have been announced.
- According to media reports, the president travelled despite a BIA recommendation against the trip on security grounds.
Aleksandar Vucic, the president of Serbia, arrived in Tivat on Wednesday, June 4, at around 4.47 p.m. and confirmed his attendance at the European Union and Western Balkans summit, Tanjug and N1 reported. The gathering is one of the most significant regional events of the year, with leaders from EU member states and candidate countries from the region expected to attend.
After landing in the Montenegrin coastal town, Vucic immediately held his first bilateral meeting, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, according to Novosti and B92. The substance of the talks between the two officials was not officially disclosed immediately after the meeting.
Who are the interlocutors and what is on the agenda?
Beyond the meeting with the Greek prime minister, further bilateral talks by the Serbian president have been announced during his stay in Tivat. According to the daily Danas, the schedule includes meetings with:
- Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico,
- Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker,
- Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin.
A joint meeting is also planned, which, according to RTV, would bring together European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The summit is chaired by Antonio Costa, while the host is Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic.
According to Novosti, the Montenegrin authorities have deployed around 1,500 police officers to secure the event. Organising summits of this kind typically involves a special security regime, especially in smaller coastal towns such as Tivat, where a number of delegations gather in a limited area.
Travel despite a warning
The president’s arrival was accompanied by the question of security. According to media reports, Vucic travelled to Montenegro despite a recommendation by the Security Information Agency (BIA) not to make the trip due to an assessed security risk. This claim has not been officially confirmed, so it should be read as an assertion that appeared in the media rather than as officially released information.
The president confirmed his attendance at the summit upon landing in Tivat, news agencies reported.
For the Serbian public, the meeting with Mitsotakis comes at a time when Athens holds a specific position regarding the status of Kosovo, which adds weight to the talks between the two officials. Still, without an official statement from the meeting, any assessment of the topics remains in the realm of speculation.
The summit in Tivat brings together EU representatives and Western Balkans leaders at the same time, placing it in a format where regional bilateral relations and broader questions of European integration intersect. The coming days will show how many concrete messages, statements and possible agreements emerge from these talks.
What do you expect from the Serbian president’s meetings with EU and regional leaders in Tivat?
