Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović, who is taking part at the conference “The Future of EU - A View from the Western Balkans” in Vienna today, has stated that Serbia has once again presented itself as a serious and respected partner in Europe, which and that it demands of others what it primarily demands of itself - responsibility towards others, as well as to the citizens.
Joksimović has said that there were discussions at the conference concerning the perspective of European integration, adding that an Intergovernmental Conference will undoubtedly be held by the end of June this year.
She has stated that, at the conference, she highlighted the number of negotiation chapters Serbia had prepared and that she expected some of these chapters would be opened.
“However, everything is currently marked by the EU elections. The Progress Report will be delayed compared to the previous years, which will leave lesser time for Member States to adopt a decision, therefore I am moderately optimistic”, said Joksimović.
She has stressed that she would slightly change the title of the conference, because, in her words, these are not only views from the Western Balkans, but rather “views from the misty garden of South-East Europe”, which should not be the case, as it should actually be part of the European Balkans.
In that regard, she has recalled that certain Balkan countries are already EU Member States, adding that her proposal to give another title to the conference was received well because, in her words, it had a more realistic note.
“On the other hand, it shows in which direction we need to be moving and that, truly in terms of values, conduct and principles that we respect and that have been established, and which the EU should also respect, as reiterated, we are truly a part of the European Balkans and we stand for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Europe”, said the Minister.
She has stated that it is extremely important that the syntagm “the future of Europe” has started to be used instead of just the “the future of the EU”, because the role of Serbia and other countries in the region is recognized in this broader sense.
“What I focused on in terms of Serbia is the undisputed commitment to what is currently the top issue of the pre-election campaign in the EU - stability and security”, Joksimović emphasized, adding that this does not mean putting aside all of Serbia’s potentials as a candidate and the reform process.
“But certainly, security is what is vital at this moment, both for the EU and us in the Western Balkan region”, said the Minister.
“I also expected a question regarding the continuation of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina”, Joksimović stated, adding that she pointed out that unlike Belgrade, which acts as it speaks, Pristina is not only failing to fulfil reached agreements, but is also further undermining them with imposed taxes on goods from central Serbia.
“I have also highlighted that for us, the Brussels Agreement is not just scribbling on paper, as Pristina perceives it, which is now "reinventing the wheel" and is trying to present some new platforms, additionally introducing these unreasonable taxes that violate one of the fundamental values we talked about - free movement of capital and goods”, indicated Joksimović.
Joksimović has said that, in this sense, Serbia will undoubtedly continue to seek, through diplomacy and European integration, a viable solution, stressing that this cannot happen without fundamental compliance with reached agreements.
“Since Pristina does not respect agreements and has even further undermined them by introducing taxes, we have clearly presented our position that there is no doubt that until this is rectified, we can hardly continue the dialogue, let alone find a viable solution”, said the Minister.
Her opinion is that this was rationally acknowledged by everyone who participated in today's panel, stating that there was no counter-argumentation that would in any way derogate the position of Serbia.
“I believe that through our persistent, diplomatic activities, our calm and reasonable approach, by persistently acting as we speak and adhering to what we have signed, we have demonstrated that we are the most serious candidate for EU membership, and that, above all, we protect the interests of our citizens and everyone in the EU, as peace and stability are of vital importance for everyone in Europe at this moment”, stated Joksimović.
She has added that it is crucial that Austria and Austrian Minister for Europe have shown that they are truly strategically present in Serbia and the Western Balkans, and that they are sincere supporters of the enlargement policy, particularly at a moment when, prior to the European elections, everyone is running away from the topic of enlargement.
“Nobody is inviting candidates and partners from the region to formats where discussions are held on the most important issues, let alone the future of the EU. In that sense, we find it tremendously important and we appreciate the move made by Austria and the Austrian Minister to invite us to participate together with them in a debate concerning issues such as challenges in the EU, how the EU should look like in the future, the biggest problems it faces, as well as the possibilities we see for empowering a Europe that is peaceful, stable and prosperous”, stated the minister.
Joksimović has concluded that it is normal and natural that Serbia, as an EU candidate, participates in discussions on challenges that Europe is facing, such as Brexit, elections, multi-annual budget, migration etc.
Source: Tanjug
