Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović has held a meeting with newly appointed French Ambassador Jean-Louis Falconi during which they discussed Serbia's European integration, the continuation of cooperation between the two countries in Serbia’s accession process, bilateral relations, the situation in the EU and the region and other topics.
The Minister has informed the Ambassador that EU membership is Serbia’s strategic foreign policy interest, emphasising that Serbia is committed to this priority - as proven by the clear commitment of the state, society as a whole and citizens to implement reforms. More than half of Serbian citizens support EU membership, while almost two-thirds support the reforms that are being implemented within the accession process.
Jadranka Joksimović has stressed that special emphasis is placed on reforms in the areas of rule of law and economy and that their positive effect is visible through a growing presence of foreign investors. She has informed Falconi that Serbia is intensively working on the preparation of new chapters and that she expects some to be opened during the Finnish EU Council Presidency.
The Minister has particularly underlined the significance of the recent visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Belgrade and his message that EU internal reforms could take place in parallel with the enlargement policy based on clear criteria.
In addition to regional stability, the Minister of European Integration has highlighted that it is particularly important for Serbia to establish a sustainable and lasting solution for Kosovo and Metohija based on compromise. She has specified that Belgrade is ready to continue the talks as soon as Pristina abolishes its unilateral decision to impose tariffs on goods from Central Serbia, and that unlike Pristina, Serbia has confirmed its commitment to implement the Brussels Agreement through concrete activities.
French Ambassador Jean-Louis Falconi has said that France will continue to support Serbia's European integration and carry on providing expert assistance to the process. He has stated that the results of the reforms are already visible, expressing his opinion that they should be intensified and that it is positive that special attention is being paid to the rule of law and economy in this regard. Furthermore, the Ambassador has noted that Serbia has proven to be an important and credible partner to the EU.
Jadranka Joksimović has expressed her gratitude for all the assistance France has been providing to Serbia in the accession process. She has also expressed her expectations that, along with a clear position on the need for EU reform, France will remain committed to a credible enlargement policy, namely the principle that progress in the European integration process depends on individual results achieved by each candidate country.
Minister Joksimović and Ambassador Falconi have agreed that bilateral relations between the two countries - both political and economic - are growing stronger and that there is room for their intensification, in particular due to the existence of many French companies that are investing into Serbia’s economy.
Source: Tanjug
