The Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels saw the opening of another two negotiating chapters – chapter 6 – Company Law, and 30 – External Relations.

Serbian Delegation was headed by Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic, while EU Member States and the European Commission were represented by Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser and Commissioner for Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, respectively.

Hahn: Serbia’s EU perspective firm and real

Johannes Hahn welcomed the opening of another two chapters and stressed that Serbia should focus its attention above all on the rule of law and normalisation of relations with Kosovo.

“The opening of these chapters proves that Serbia has done some serious work and that its EU perspective is firm and real,” Hahn said at a joint press point following the Intergovernmental Conference.

We have seen some serious work when it comes to the rule of law and normalisation of relations with Kosovo. However, he said, “challenges remain,” adding that the accession process and opening of chapters “cannot be achieved without a tangible focus on the rule of law and the dialogue with Kosovo.”

He said that “Serbia should make further progress in the area of judicial independence, freedom of expression, media, minority rights, fight against corruption and organised crime, including money laundering.”

Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn recalled that the opening of chapters was based on achievements and warned that quality comes before speed.

“We can all be satisfied with the progress and, having everything in mind, I believe we are on the right track,” he said.

Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser said that Serbia had made continuous progress in EU accession talks and that it should maintain it, adding that the pace of negotiations was decided by the progress achieved in normalisation of relations with Kosovo as well.

“There is no doubt the process will continue to run smoothly and that the number of opened chapters will soon increase,” Mikser said and added that another three chapters were within reach.

Joksimovic: Opening of new chapters will bring benefits to both economy and citizens

Serbian EU Minister Jadranka Joksimovic said that the opening of new chapters would bring benefits to both economy and citizens.

“These are very important, concrete and tangible things, which will be felt in the future by both the business community and citizens,” Joksimovic said at the press conference she held together with Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

Noting that Serbia had been prepared to open five, and was expecting to open at least three chapters, she said she hoped that the future would bring speed and quality to the work done as well as that “Serbia and the EU would act as partners in the process ahead.”

However, she said, it is important that we have maintained the dynamic of chapter opening as it indicates the stability of the reform process which needs to pick up pace so that we could honour promises we had given to our citizens.

She said that the Government might have been too ambitious when it comes to chapters 23 and 24, adding that “being ambitious is all but a sin.”

“Ambition means that there is a political will to implement reforms and pick up pace on the European path,” she said.

According to Joksimovic, by reviewing the chapter 23 and 24 action plans and “by setting more realistic deadlines” Serbia could maintain the dynamic.

What matters is that we have a relationship of trust with the EU, she said.

“Serbia should be trusted; its European orientation should not be doubted. There are many ups and downs on the EU path, but greater commitment from both the EU and Serbia could secure its European future,” Joksimovic said.

She said Serbia was committed to regional cooperation, warning that regional cooperation should not replace the process of EU integration but rather serve “as an indicator of our readiness for functional cooperation in the future.”

Speaking about the two newly opened chapters, Joksimovic said that they sent a clear message to all potential investors about Serbia being a stable country with a sound protection mechanism.

Asked whether Serbia was expected to align its foreign policy toward Russia with the EU, European Commissioner Hahn responded that the issue was not part of the two chapters, whereas Minister Joksimovic said that the stance on that issue should be harmonised progressively over the course of accession.

“At the current stage of accession talks, Serbia has no obligation of imposing sanctions on Russia,” she said.

“We are already pursuing EU’s common foreign policy and we have already acted on certain obligations arising from it in full,” she said adding that Serbia was taking part in four EU military operations and was for the first time preparing to engage in one of Union’s civilian missions.

Today brings the total number of opened chapters to 12, with two of them already provisionally closed.