EP Rapporteur for Serbia David McAllister condemned the murder of Oliver Ivanovic, saying that relevant institutions should carry out a swift and professional investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice; he noted had the crime should not be used to incite dangerous rhetoric in the region.
McAllister told Vecernje novosti daily that Eulex should support the authorities – within its mandate – and added that there is no alternative to Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.
According to him, 2018 would be particularly important for countries of the Western Balkans.
The European Commission will lay out its Enlargement Strategy in February, country-specific reports will follow in April, whereas the EU-Western Balkans summit will be held in May in Sofia, McAllister noted.
Commenting on the possibility of joining the EU by 2025, McAllister said that such a possibility would depend on the pace of reform and harmonisation with EU acquis.
In practical terms, this means that you will have to meet criteria set by the EU for each of the 35 negotiating chapters before concluding negotiations for each area, McAllister said and wished Serbia every success in attaining that goal.
In the meantime, he said, the EU will continue to support Serbia.
The EU and its Member States are Serbia’s number one partner when it comes to trade, foreign investment and financial assistance and they rank much higher than any other partner, he said and added that Serbia was already deriving considerable benefit from the EU, noting that the country receives around EUR200 million per year in institutional assistance alone.
