“I love Serbia,” said President of the European Parliament (EP) Foreign Affairs Committee/EP Rapporteur for Serbia David McAllister following a series of meetings with Serbian officials and politicians, reiterating support for Serbia on its European integration path.
At a press conference held jointly with President of Serbian Assembly European Integration Committee/Leader of the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina Nenad Canak following the meeting with members of said Committee, McAllister said that Serbia had made great progress on the EU path, but added that more work still remained ahead.
He said that many negotiating chapters within EU accession talks have been technically prepared. “I would like to see more chapters open. However, that decision is neither up to me nor the European Parliament, but up to Member States,” he said.
McAllister reiterated that he would continue serving as the EP Rapporteur for Serbia despite the fact he had been appointed President of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee.
During the first day of his visit to Belgrade, McAllister met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, First Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic, Minister of European integration Jadranka Joksimovic, representatives of Serbian Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee and representatives of opposition parties.
McAllister and Vucic on Serbia’s EU path, internal dialogue on Kosovo and progress made in Pristina-Kosovo dialogue
The statement released from the Office of President Vucic said that the President talked with McAllister about Serbia’s European path, internal dialogue on Kosovo and progress in dialogue with Pristina.
Vucic briefed McAllister on Serbia’s plans regarding the internal dialogue on Kosovo and avenues to make the process formal, the statement reads.
Vucic and McAllister exchanged their views on observance and application of the principles of rule of law and media freedom. They also talked about regional relations and what Serbia should do in order to speed up the process of European integration, said the statement from the Office of Serbian President.
Brnabic: Serbia a reliable and credible partner of the EU
FoNet
The statement released by the Government of Serbia following the meeting between Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and EP Rapporteur for Serbia David McAllister reads that the Prime Minister said that “despite numerous obstacles on the path to full-fledged EU membership, Serbia remains committed to internal reforms.”
Brnabic told McAllister that Serbia did not think of fulfilling obligations necessary to open negotiating chapters as a process of “striking out” items, but rather as a signpost, pointing to a course of faster development and a society of the future, adding that for Serbia, as a society, it is important to agree on priorities and what it can and must do together so as to make Serbia a prosperous country. Prime Minister also said that Serbia would remain a reliable and credible partner of the EU.
Joksimovic: We are awaiting confirmation for another three chapters by the end of the year
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said in a statement that during a meeting between Foreign Minister Dacic and David McAllister, the EU official reiterated unequivocal support for Serbia’s EU integration path and underlined the importance of reform implemented by the Government of Serbia.
FoNet
Dacic said that Serbia would remain committed to its foreign policy priorities, including EU membership and regional stability. He added that by playing its constructive role, Serbia was resolved to continue contributing to stability and peace in the region.
Following her meeting with EP Rapporteur for Serbia David McAllister, Minister of European integration Jadranka Joksimovic said that she expected Serbia to receive Member States’ approval to open three additional chapters by the year’s end – chapters 6 (company law), 30 (external economic relations) and 33 (financial and budgetary provisions). As she put it, Serbia is ready to open thee chapters and is preparing another two.
She said that she and McAllister talked about the implementation of chapter 23 action plan, an indicator of a country’s progress in the area of rule of law.
McAllister also met with representatives of opposition, including the leaders of the Democratic Party Dragan Sutanovac, Social Democratic Party Boris Tadic, Liberal Democratic Party Cedomir Jovanovic and the movement Dosta je bilo Sasa Radulovic.
FoNet
Following the meeting, opposition leaders said they told McAllister that democracy in Serbia had been undermined and that the Government’s claims of Serbia’s economic progress were false.
