Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović has met today with Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Sem Fabrizi to discuss Serbia’s accession negotiations and other current political and socio-economic matters relevant for Serbia, including immunisation.
Minister Joksimović has stated that she expects that the new negotiation methodology, which the EC proposed and Serbia accepted, will start to be applied so as to accelerate EU accession negations, as the EC intended, and make the process more efficient, predictable and credible.
She has stressed that Serbia highly appreciates the efforts the EC is making in these difficult circumstances of global crisis to define the enhanced methodology and the manners of practical application of the principles it is founded on.
“In line with the new manner of negotiations, it would be significant if the Intergovernmental Conference, as the official format for the high-level political dialogue between Serbia and the EU, were to be held in the upcoming period, where we would discuss all elements of the new methodology’s application to our country, along with the valorisation of the progress made so far”, emphasised Joksimović.
She has said that Serbia is in constant contact with the European Commission and the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, and that it acts as a partner, committedly paving the way for the continuation of negotiations.
The Minister has also told the Ambassador that, in the previous period, she has worked on adapting and adjusting the Ministry of European Integration and negotiation structures to the key requirements of the new methodology, adding that Serbia will be fully ready to enter the new model of negotiations, with a focus on appropriate valorisation of the previously achieved progress.
Joksimović and Fabrizi particularly discussed the immunisation against the coronavirus in Serbia and the EU, with Joksimović conveying Serbia’s expectations to receive vaccines from the COVAX system.
She has called for the EU’s support in procuring the vaccines, particularly bearing in mind Serbia’s close cooperation with the Union during the pandemic and the fact that Serbia was one of the first countries to allocate funds for research within that system.
Ambassador Fabrizi has reiterated the position stated at the EU Council meeting on the need to find a more efficient mechanism to ensure vaccine availability for the Western Balkans and Serbia.
He has explained that the EU countries are also facing serious delays in the supply and delivery of the vaccines that have been bought, but that the EU and member states will find a way for Serbia and the rest of the Western Balkans to get the vaccines through these mechanisms as soon as possible.
Ambassador Fabrizi has stressed the importance of political criteria, as well as the entire reform process, in terms of the continuation of negotiations under the new cluster methodology.
He has expressed his expectations that Serbia will use its capacities to additionally accelerate the reforms, particularly in the area of the rule of law, adding that certain steps have evidently already been taken.
He has also commended the proactive approach of Jadranka Joksimović and the Ministry of European Integration regarding a constant and active dialogue with the European Commission and member states on all aspects of negotiations, particularly on defining the application of the new methodology.
Source: Tanjug
