Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović has met with the delegation of the German state of Hessen headed by Minister of European and Federal Affairs Lucia Puttrich.
Jadranka Joksimović has informed the members of the delegation about Serbia’s future activities in the European integration process. She has recalled that, in the accession process, Serbia has so far opened 16 chapters, two of which have been provisionally closed. She has emphasised that, in the context of the EU Credible Enlargement Strategy, Serbia understands that 2025 is an open perspective of membership, if Serbia as a candidate country and the EU fulfil the undertaken obligations. The Minister has expressed her stance that the enlargement policy should be regarded as an important part of the internal reform process of the EU itself.
Joksimović has pointed out that EU membership remains Serbia’s foreign policy priority, that Serbia is committed to European integration and reforms. In that sense, she has particularly underlined the reforms in chapters 23 and 24, related to the rule of law. She has informed Puttrich that the Government has accepted and acknowledged all recommendations of the Venice Commission regarding the Constitutional amendments in the area of judiciary and that it has conducted a transparent and inclusive public debate process. She has further noted that the Government adopted the Law on Free Legal Aid and the Law on Personal Data Protection, adding that the Law on the Prevention of Corruption, the Law on the Origin of Property and the new Media Strategy are under preparation. Joksimović has stressed that all the aforementioned comprises a significant corpus of activities within chapters 23 and 24, based on which the decisions on the opening of other chapters are made.
The Minister has stated that the citizens know that the EU is the largest donor of funds intended for the development of the country, adding that Serbia does not see the EU as an ATM but as a system of the best norms and values that improve citizens’ standard and quality of life.
Jadranka Joksimović has informed Lucia Puttrich of the negative developments in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, given that, unlike Belgrade, Pristina has not fulfilled a single provision of the Brussels Agreement in the past 6 six years and has, additionally, adopted an unlawful unilateral decision on introducing taxes on goods from central Serbia, which disables the continuation of the dialogue. The Minister has emphasised that Serbia has demonstrated its commitment to peaceful resolution of open issues, but that such solution also requires the will of the other party, which is obviously lacking.
Hessian Minister Lucia Puttrich has stated that there is political understanding that the Western Balkans, and particularly Serbia, is important for the EU. She has further explained that certain conditions should be met prior to Serbia’s accession to the EU, primarily in the area of the rule of law, i.e. chapters 23 and 24, which will make Serbia better prepared for accession. Lucia Puttrich has expressed her expectations that the initiated activities will be intensified as they are important for that overall negotiation process. She believes that after the EP elections, the enlargement policy will again return to the agenda. The interlocutors have agreed that it is important that the EU and Serbia continue to promote European values – peace, freedom and democracy.
Jadranka Joksimović has stressed that Germany’s support to Serbia’s European integration process is invaluable. She has expressed gratitude for a long-standing and continuous technical and development assistance to Serbia – in the previous 15 years, Germany has allocated more than EUR 1.8 billion in grants for numerous development projects in Serbia.
The interlocutors have noted at the meeting that the relations of the two countries are at a high level, that there is mutual commitment to strengthening overall cooperation, and that Germany is an important economic and political partner to Serbia providing support in the European integration process.
Source: Tanjug
