The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso congratulated to Aleksandar Vučić on his appointment as Serbian Prime Minister, encouraging him to pursue with European integration, reforms and dialogue with Kosovo.
“The Serbian people have entrusted you with a clear mandate and a great responsibility to pursue, as a central priority of your government, Serbia’s European integration and the process of reform,” Barroso wrote in a letter to Vučić.
“Serbia has already taken important steps on its path towards the European Union and I am confident that under your determined guidance, Serbia will succeed in addressing the key challenges ahead.
“This concerns notably the good functioning of all democratic institutions, the strengthening of the rule of law and enhancing in practice the respect of all fundamental rights,” Barroso said.
The President stressed that, as Serbia is confronted with severe economic difficulties, “the European Commission therefore aims to help you in improving economic governance and carrying out the necessary structural reforms that will ensure sufficient growth and the competitiveness of your economy.”
“Serbia is a key player in South Eastern Europe. I therefore expect it to continue making a central contribution to the region’s stability and to regional cooperation and reconciliation in particular.
“In this context, I invite you to move ahead in your courageous efforts in the normalisation of relations with Pristina. Continued progress in this crucial dialogue will need to go hand in hand with the accession negotiations,” Barroso said.
