1 June 2018 The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in meeting with the French parliamentarians

1 June 2018 The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in meeting with the French parliamentarians

Friday, 1 June 2018

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Meets with French Parliamentarians

The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Prof. Dr Zarko Obradovic met today with French parliamentarians Senator Jean-Yves Leconte and MP Frederic Petit.


The officials discussed interparliamentary cooperation, European integration, Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and expanding economic cooperation.

Prof. Dr Zarko Obradovic said that parliamentary cooperation is vital for the two countries’ overall cooperation viz. reciprocal visits of their parliamentarians to exchange views and ideas on how to deepen cooperation. He added that a meeting of the two countries’ presidents would encourage the implementation of the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in April 2011 in Paris to secure France’s support for Serbia EU association process and development of cooperation in the fields of defence, economy, culture, science and education. Obradovic re-stated that Serbia’s foreign policy strategy is directed toward Euro-integration adding that Serbia has so far opened 12 negotiation chapters, two of which have been temporarily closed. He added that Serbia has the administrative and other capacities to open the rest of the chapters, however Chapter 35 – normalization of relations with Pristina, remains an open issue. He said that Serbia has for the most part fulfilled the Brussels Agreement, while Pristina has done almost nothing to advance the talks. “Problems do exist, and problems are resolved through dialogue” said the Committee Chairman adding that a solution cannot be found unless Pristina starts fulfilling its obligations under the Brussels Agreement.

Discussing the course of the talks between Belgrade and Pristina, Obradovic said that EULEX should continue to operate on the territory of the Province. He said that, of the 250,000 Serbs exiled from Kosovo, only 2% have so far returned.

MP Frederic Petit said that he understands Serbia’s position. He added that the Balkan region should be inside the European Union, but the process will take time. It would also take an exchange of people among the Balkan states citing as example the France-Germany youth office established 50 years ago to help the reconciliation process. He said that young people are the key as they are the ones who should accept the European values before they can be politically implemented.

Senator Jean-Yves Leconte said that the talks between Belgrade and Pristina should be dynamic. He also said that the European Union should view enlargement as a solution, even though the views on the matter are divided within the EU itself.



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friday, 29 march
  • 9.00 - the National Assembly Speaker meets with the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Speaker’s Cabinet)

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