During her first official visit to Brussels, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic was given encouragement for Serbia’s European path. At a joint press conference, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn said that “there is absolutely no doubt that Serbia belongs in the EU and that it would very soon become a part of the European family.” Hahn said that European integration of Serbia was “solely in Serbia’s hands” and thanked for its responsible role “as a key player taking care of the development in the region.”
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic kicked off her visit to Brussels at the European Parliament. Together with Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic she met with members and Chairman of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee/Rapporteur for Serbia David McAllister.
A statement released from the Prime Minister’s Cabinet reads that the meeting discussed Serbia’s EU accession process and reform on that path as well as strengthening of economic and political cooperation within the Western Balkans region.
She reiterated that Serbia had in recent years adopted and began implementing a highly ambitious economic reform agenda, adding that it is making tremendous effort to build the society based on the rule of law and a modern and prosperous state.
Brnabic said that EU membership was Serbia’s foreign policy priority and that Belgrade was doing everything to maintain the positive dynamics of negotiations and opening of chapters, the statement reads.
Following the meeting, McAllister told reporters that many of his colleagues from different political groups were supporting Serbia’s European integration path. “I call Member States to open further chapters before the end of this year. I think it is well deserved and we should continue to support Serbia’s pro-European integration,” McAllister said.
