On 19 July 2024, Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of the European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, and Acting Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, travelled to Belgrade, Serbia, to participate in the Serbian Critical Raw Materials Summit 2024, together with Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia, Miloš Vučević, Serbian Prime Minister, Olaf Scholz, German Federal Chancellor, and Dubravka Djedovic-Handanovic, Serbian Minister for Mining and Energy. During the Summit,  Maroš Šefčovič and Dubravka Djedovic-Handanovic signed a Memorandum of Understanding launching a Strategic Partnership between Serbia and the EU on sustainable raw materials, battery value chains, and electric vehicle production.