The Foreign Minister said that Serbia’s priorities are EU accession, maintaining relations with its traditional friends, such as Russia and China, and finding a modality of cooperation with big powers, as well as regional stability and peace and continuation of its principled protection of state and national interests in Kosovo-Metohija. Dacic added that a pre-condition for the realisation of these state priorities is reforming diplomacy and the Ministry itself by passing a new foreign affairs law.

Speaking of European integration, Dacic said that these days the EU is beset by challenges that erode its citizens’ trust in the institutions and threaten to collapse them which are chiefly the fallout of the UK referendum and the migrant and financial crises. He said that EU dignitaries claim that the enlargement policy would not be threatened, however, it will not be high on the list of priorities. On the other hand the EU institutions urge the countries in the accession process to continue with the talks and reforms. The Government’s goal is to complete the pre-accession talks by 2020 after which it expects the political decision on Serbia’s EU membership, said Dacic. He reminded the Committee members that Chapter 5 – Public Procurement is ready to be opened, chapters 25 and 26 are expected to be opened as well by the end of the year, while chapters 20, 27, 29 and 33 will be prepared. He said that Chapter 35 concerning the dialogue in Brussels and its implementation would affect the opening of new negotiation chapters and reminded the attending of Serbia’s diplomatic activity as regards protecting the state’s interests in Kosovo-Metohija.

Speaking of regional stability and peace, the Foreign Minister said that the relations periodically look like reconciliation, but the situation gets radicalised very soon, especially when anniversaries are marked. He opined that it is a live process and maintaining stability is key for Serbia and in that context informed the Committee about the relations with Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, opining that Croatia is not interested in resolving the open issues, and Serbia, as the guarantor of the Dayton Accords, did not endorse the referendum in the Republic of Srpska and will know to protect itself and will not allow threats. He urged to renew the dialogue between Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, adding that Serbia will strive to resolve all outstanding bilateral issues through dialogue with the wish to focus on common interests such as visa-free regimes, opening of a youth office and economic cooperation which will give a new perspective to the entire region.

The Foreign Minister also informed the Committee about the number of employees in the Ministry, number of Serbian diplomatic representative offices and consulates in the world, appointment of new heads of diplomatic representative offices and consulates, and the Ministry’s budget and its realisation.

In the ensuing discussion the Committee members and the Foreign Minister exchanged views on the European integration policy, situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, status of Serbian institutions in Kosovo-Metohija, referendum on Serbia’s EU accession, chapters 23, 24 and 35, European Commission’s progress report on Serbia, financial position of Serbian embassies, recent statements regarding the conclusions of the representatives of the OSCE Mission in Serbia, relations with Croatia and the open bilateral issues, status of Serbs in Montenegro, accessibility of European migrant crisis funds, transferral of Guantanamo Bay prisoners into Serbia, referendum in the Republic of Srpska, Brussels talks on telecommunication, agreements with neighbouring states, project of high-speed rail to Budapest and relations with Romania and Bulgaria.

The Committee went on to adopt two initiatives for visits, several reports on realised visits and note parliamentary and other realised contacts.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Prof. Dr Zarko Obradovic and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Marija Obradovic, Dubravka Filipovski, Marko Blagojevic, Dr Sanda Raskovic Ivic, Djordje Vukadinovic, Natasa Sp. Jovanovic, Dr Milorad Mijatovic, Natasa Mihailovic Vacic, Jovan Palalic, Natasa Vuckovic, Ljiljana Malusic, Ivica Toncev, Prof. Dr Ljubisa Stojmirovic, Aleksandra Djurovic and Djordje Kosanic.