Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović and Italian Ambassador Carlo Lo Cascio have held discussions on Serbia’s European integration, reforms that are being implemented within the accession process, circumstances in the region, the situation in the EU, bilateral relations between the two countries and other current topics.
The Minister has informed the Ambassador about future activities relating to the process of European integration, stressing that EU membership remains the country’s foreign policy priority, and that, in that sense, Serbia is committed to implementing reforms aimed at creating a modern state in which citizens' interests will be the primary value. She has expressed her appreciation for the support and assistance that Italy has been providing to Serbia on its path to full EU membership, which, as Lo Cascio confirmed, will continue.
The Ambassador has noted that Italy advocates a credible EU enlargement policy. He has stressed that Serbia has proven to be a reliable and credible partner to the EU, which has a clear European future and plays an important role in the stability of the region. He has expressed his confidence that the reforms in the field of the rule of law in Serbia will continue and intensify. He has assessed that the results of the reforms are visible and that the reforms yield good results, which is reflected in a large number of investors and companies operating in Serbia.
Jadranka Joksimović has said that Serbia is ready to continue the Belgrade- Pristina dialogue, but only after the decision to introduce taxes on Serbian goods is repealed, adding that Serbia is committed to stability and cooperation in the region, and that such a position should also be taken by others.
Joksimović and Lo Cascio have agreed that the Memorandum of Cooperation between Serbia and Italy in the area of European integration should be updated in due course so as to establish an even more precise framework for concrete forms of support from Italy to Serbia’s European path.
The interlocutors have noted that the two countries have good bilateral relations and that Italy is a significant economic and political partner to Serbia.
Source: Tanjug
