The European Union repeatedly warned Vučić not to travel to Russia, with which Belgrade maintains close ties, but he nevertheless went to Moscow to attend the parade commemorating the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.
"You cannot celebrate liberation 80 years ago without condemning the invasion of a country today," Costa added, making a clear reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Belgrade has condemned while refusing to sever ties with Russia.
"As for my trip to Moscow, it is clear that we celebrated the victory over fascism. I announced this to everyone, I did not mislead anyone," Vucic said, quoted by AFP.
"The most important thing is that Serbia is on the European path... Serbia today, Serbia tomorrow and always on the European path," he added.
Kocica spoke of "positive dynamics within the EU regarding enlargement" and "a clear opportunity for Serbia to take advantage of."
"I am glad to hear that integration into the EU is a priority. Now this must quickly be translated into action through accelerated reforms," the European Council president added.
Serbia, which has been a candidate for EU membership since 2012 and does most of its trade with the EU, has been playing a delicate balancing act between Brussels and Moscow for nearly three years.
Belgrade, which has welcomed hundreds of thousands of Russians since February 2022, is almost entirely dependent on Russia for its gas supplies and is currently negotiating a new multi-year gas agreement with Moscow, as the current one expires at the end of May.
The EU has often expressed concern about the ties between the Serbian and Russian authorities and has regularly called on Serbia to bring its foreign and security policy into line with its own. However, this Balkan country has never followed European sanctions against Russia, and several of its ministers have regularly visited Russian territory in recent years.
In mid-April, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos already stated that Serbia must quickly undertake reforms, stressing that the European Union's expectations of Belgrade are "almost the same" as those expressed by the hundreds of thousands of people who have been demonstrating for months. | BGNES