Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport signed in Novi Sad a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of EU Info Point in the capital of Vojvodina.
Taking part in a debate on relations between Brussels and Belgrade after beginning of accession talks, the ambassador Devenport said that, as a candidate for EU membership, Serbia was expected to support EU’s position on Ukraine.
At the panel discussion on the topic of “Serbia and the EU after the beginning of negotiation – new phase in European integration process,” held in Novi Sad, Davenport said that from the EU’s perspective, situation in Ukraine was serious, and Member States as well as EU membership candidate countries were expected to view it as such.
The EU understands that the technical government cannot dedicate itself fully to declaring its position on the situation in Ukraine, said Davenport.
„Perhaps we should wait for a new government to be formed, but we do expect that Serbia, as a EU membership candidate country, takes this issue seriously and to support EU’s position on Ukraine,“ he added.
Speaking about the reforms, Head of the EU Delegation said that Serbia is making major effort and commitment on its European way, but the time has come for Serbia to focus on implementing strategies, plans and legislations already adopted.
„This is about implementing all of the documents adopted so far that will lead to opening of the Chapters 23 and 24,“ said Davenport, underlying that the most important reforms are those in the areas of economy and justice.
He recalled the European Commissioner on Enlargement Štefan Füle’s statements that the European Commission would insist on economy priorities of the EU membership candidate countries, which, to a certain extent, was the consequence of the Union’s economic crisis.
This followed Davenport’s meeting with the Mayor of Novi Sad Miloš Vučević, with whom Davenport signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of EU Info Point in the capital of Vojvodina.
