“Union’s door is open for the Western Balkans and Serbia – this is the policy the EU will pursue in 2018,” said Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Ambassador Sem Fabrizi appearing in the debate Let’s Talk about Europe, produced by the EU Info Centre and broadcast on N1 TV.

Ambassador Fabrizi was joined by the Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic, Advisor to the President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Nenad Djurdjevic and Head of the Office for Information Technology and E-Government Mihajlo Jovanovic. The debate covered topics such as the EU Western Balkans Strategy, the importance of infrastructure connectivity within the region and the future development of digital agenda. Students of the Faculty of Political Sciences, the Faculty of Economy and the Belgrade Open School had a chance to ask questions. Watch the programme in full at:

“We are entering 2018 with a renewed commitment from the European Commission to EU enlargement and with Union’s door open for the Western Balkans and Serbia,” said Fabrizi, describing the Strategy as a document that carries major political implications and launches many initiatives. This is good news for Europe, he said, the EU is back in the political arena.

He recalled that the EU was founded on the concepts of accountability and solidarity. If you wish to join the EU, you must reform the society, he said. “The rule of law is the underlying element of what makes an EU Member State. This is an important concept, closely linked to the functioning of the society and democracy. You need support of the whole of the society, with the rule of law at the heart of that support,” Fabrizi said.

Laws should be adopted and enforced, said Head of the EU Delegation. “This is more than a mere formality, this is a genuine process. Laws are being adopted for the benefit of citizens, not because we in the EU say so.” He pointed out the importance of the EU economy and market of which Serbia could only take advantage. Fabrizi recalled that the EU accounted for two thirds of both Serbia’s foreign trade and investments.

“Good neighbourly relations are another important element. The Strategy has set out steps towards enlargement, but the countries should focus on reform implementation and meeting the criteria,” Ambassador Fabrizi said.

According to the Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic, the Strategy has recognised Serbia as a frontrunner in the region, which means three things: first, that the EU recognises individual merits; second, that 2025 remains a credible membership timeframe; and third, that the EU is aware that it has to be more democratic and show more solidarity in order to get ready to accept new members by 2025.

Through the Strategy, the EU has sent one of the most positive messages to Serbia, Minister Joksimovic said. She noted that the need to reach a legally binding agreement with Kosovo was no news, adding that the content of such an agreement has to be defined within the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

Joksimovi described the EU Strategy for the Western Balkans as a political opportunity Serbia cannot afford to lose or miss. “With this Strategy – which recognised Serbia and Montenegro as frontrunners – the EU has made a commitment to strengthen itself by 2025, to show more solidarity, to become more united and stronger institution-wise, and prepare itself to receive new members,” Joksimovic said. “When Pristina and we meet all obligations and play our respective parts in the implementation of previously reached agreements, then we will resume the process of finding a compromise solution without us recognising Kosovo’s independence. A viable solution that will at the same time lead to the normalisation of relations and allow us to protect our interests while making certain compromises,” Joksimovic said. She concluded by saying that the Strategy “expected” those “who have made the greatest progress in the process” to increasingly align their foreign and security policy with the EU.