6 October 2022 The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Borko Stefanovic and the UK Ambassador to Serbia Sian MacLeod

6 October 2022 The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Borko Stefanovic and the UK Ambassador to Serbia Sian MacLeod

Thursday, 6 October 2022

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Meets with UK Ambassador to Serbia

The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Borko Stefanovic met today at the National Assembly House with the UK Ambassador to Serbia Sian MacLeod and the topics of conversation mainly concerned parliamentary cooperation and regional issues.


Stefanovic thanked the Ambassador for her time and initiative for today's meeting, and at the very beginning of the meeting he took the opportunity to congratulate the Ambassador on the newly elected monarch of the United Kingdom, who, he said, has a positive image in Serbia, given his interest in the region.

Stefanovic also discussed his recent visit to Washington D.C., as part of a SSP delegation, where he met with Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried and US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar. He said that the National Assembly is occupying more and more media space, which came with the will of the citizens demonstrated in the parliamentary elections and the current legislature’s political pluralism. He added that the goal of the opposition parties in the Assembly is to help find adequate solutions in these very challenging times for all of Europe. He informed the UK Ambassador of the initiative he would propose to the Committee he heads, concerning the harmonisation of Serbia’s foreign policy with that of the European Union, as soon as the Government of the Republic of Serbia is established.

Speaking about the situation in the region, Stefanovic stressed that Serbia should abandon the politics of symbolism and that it would be desirable to establish a commissariat within the framework of the Open Balkans initiative, which all the countries from the region would take part in and whose purpose, in addition to economic relief, would be strengthening regional independence and common solutions to diversification and procurement of energy resources. He also pointed out that the European Union cannot be complete without the countries of the Western Balkans, adding that the European community is the largest economic and investment partner in this region and that it would be disastrous for both Serbia and the region to freeze relations with the European Union. Stefanovic went on to say that Serbia could take advantage of the international and security situation in Europe to resolve sensitive issues with Kosovo-Metohija, without it being required to recognise so-called Kosovo, but to make everyday life easier for all citizens living in the area.

Ms MacLeod congratulated Stefanovic on his being election Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, adding that her task is to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries. She said that the parliament is a place where there is always room for improving cooperation and expressed hope that UK Parliamentarians’ visit would be realised next month. The Ambassador also expressed hope that Serbia would continue to support the UN General Assembly’s Resolution on Ukraine, adding that the UK is a reliable partner tor Serbia, and, in her opinion, both countries show initiative for constructive communication. The meeting also touched on the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), with the Ambassador saying that the Serbian Assembly can count on the Foundation as a partner ready to support all efforts aimed at an efficient and transparent work of the parliament.


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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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