Committee Chairman Milos Aligrudic said that Serbia and the United Kingdom share traditional ties which should be further developed especially in the sphere of economic cooperation. Speaking of Kosovo and Serbia’s European integration, Aligrudic opined that Serbia's official politics had made significant progress in bringing Serbia closer to its proclaimed goals i.e. European Union membership, and that a lot has been done on the development of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. That is why the ruling majority expects Serbia to be given a start date for the talks on European Union membership, added the Committee Chairman.
Aligrudic also informed the members of the UK delegation about the different opinion the Democratic Party of Serbia, which he is a member of, has on these issues. Serbia needs to strive to develop good bilateral relations with the 22 European Union member states and the US which have recognised Kosovo, at the same time remaining committed to maintaining its territorial integrity, and EU membership should be removed from the list of priorities. The resolution of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina should be mutually acceptable, where one side should not be asked to give up everything, stressed the Committee Chairman.
The members of the UK delegation showed understanding for the importance and weight of the Kosovo issue, expressing their belief that the outcome of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina would be acceptable for Serbia. The UK, which shares historically good elations with Serbia, wishes to see Serbia in the European Union, they said.
The meeting also touched on the human rights situation in Serbia, the work of the Women’s Parliamentary Network at the National Assembly, fighting crime and corruption and judiciary reform, as well as the position and rights of minority ethnic communities in Serbia.