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Emmanuel Macron completed this Tuesday, July 16, his official visit to Serbia. The French president has been in Belgrade since yesterday to re-create loose links recently. Before leaving, he met with his Serbian counterpart youth from the six countries of the Western Balkans. A meeting at the initiative of the Western Balkans Youth Cooperation Office. Reportage.
With our special correspondent in Belgrade, Anastasia Becchio
Family photo on the terrace of a cafe overlooking the Danube. Six young people from countries with often complicated relationships pose together. With Emmanuel Macron and Aleksander Vucic, they spoke about building peace and a European future for the Balkans. A future that still seems distant.
The French president reiterated that the EU needed to reform before accepting new members. But the candidate countries must also put in theirs. This is the opinion of Ivan Despotovic, 29, representing Serbia at the interview:
" I often feel that the governments of the region and in particular that of my country are for the European Union in words, but not in action, because there is so much to do. They can not continue to send confusing messages: Where are we going? Are we going to the European Union or to Russia ? There are things like human rights that can not be compromised. "
Aleksander Vucic 's Serbia is pinned by the annual report of the European Commission for its authoritarian drifts.
Mikel Zito, from Tirana, Albania, met the Serbian president for the first time. " We have a lot of stereotypes about him. After this meeting, my point of view is changing. I want to trust him and I want to believe that this region will be better and why not, from our generation? "
Young people are aware of this, there is still work to overcome the past. " Many things are in your hands, " Emmanuel Macron told them.
► See also: Macron urges Serbia to work for a compromise with Kosovo