During their first visit to Serbia, 10-12 September, members of the the EU Council’s Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the Union (COELA) met top Serbian officials and visited Pancevo and Novi Sad, venues of some of the ongoing EU-funded projects.
The delegation met, among others, with President Tomislav Nikolić, Minister of Interior Ivica Dačić, Minister in charge with European integration Jadranka Joksimović and Minister of Justice Nikola Selaković, as well as National Assembly and civil society representatives.
European diplomats have also visited refugee collective centre in Pancevo, whose residents will obtain durable housing solutions thanks to EU funds, as well as building of the Rectorate of the University of Novi Sad that has been constructed through the EU-funded project.
Delegation visited Serbia at the proposal of Italy as the EU presiding country that puts a high priority on the enlargement of the EU and Balkans’ European integration, as well as on bringing the European Union closer to citizens.
Goal of the first COELA visit to Belgrade was to bring the European Union to Serbia and offer a direct dialogue with all EU Member States’ representatives dealing with the enlargement and Serbia’s accession negotiations.
During their regular discussions, COELA, currently presided by an Italian diplomat and consisting of 28 EU Member States’ representatives, prepare the Council of the EU decisions relevant to the enlargement which, by all means, include decisions on accession of the Republic of Serbia to the EU.
