In her address to the delegates present at the beginning of the proceedings of the CEI PD Parliamentary Assembly, National Assembly Speaker Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic Dejanovic stressed that the National Assembly fully supported the level of multilateral cooperation and its influence on nation states, regional and global trends. She stated that approaching the European Union was one of Serbia’s main foreign policy goals, emphasising the crucial role of the parliament in the context of achieving the abovementioned priority.

In his address, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Prof. Dr Dragoljub Micunovic emphasised that, in addition to the National Assembly’s significance and role in international cooperation, the role of society, non-governmental organisations, youth, universities, as well as culture that brings us closer together were equally important, also stressing the impact of economic relations. Micunovic said that today all six former Yugoslav republics cooperate with one another, reminding that some of them have joined the European Union and some are on the verge of doing so.

CEI Deputy Secretary General Zoran Jovanovic highlighted the vast potential for cooperation deeming that so far in its chairmanship of CEI Serbia has invested considerable effort in developing said cooperation.

Greeting the assembly, CEI PD Chairman Ivan Jovanovic informed the delegates of the activities implemented in the course of Serbia’s chairmanship of the Parliamentary Dimension to date, declaring them successful. Serbia’s chairmanship launched the initiative for the creation of a business forum which would strengthen the CEI economic and business dimension, added Jovanovic. He also stressed that Serbia has completed all the activities set out in the action plan and roadmap to European integration necessary for her to gain candidate status in December of this year. Jovanovic added that Serbia expected support in gaining the status of EU membership candidate and at the same time endorsed the efforts of the remaining CEI states in the process.

On the second day of the session, the delegates were addressed by Assistant Foreign Minister Dusko Lopandic who stressed that the Euro-integration process is a priority with the Serbian Government. He added that in the course of its chairmanship Serbia insisted on cooperation in the sphere of investment, that a new CEI fund was established to assist the realisation of projects and that Serbia aims to implement the Danube Strategy. Lopandic added that the fight against organised crime, a threat that knows no boundaries, continues. Serbia continues to build stable partnerships, said Lopandic expressing hope that the countries not already in the European Union would soon become members.

In the continuation of the annual session the participants of the Parliamentary Dimension of the Central European Initiative adopted a Final Declaration.

After the Declaration was adopted, CEI PD Chairman Ivan Jovanovic thanked the delegates for their active participation and successful work after which they were addressed by the Ukrainian delegate Valeriy Kamchatniy, since Ukraine is to follow Serbia as next year’s CEI PD Chair.