At the National Assembly House today, the Chairman of the European Integrations Committee, Laszlo Varga received Thomas Silberhorn and Hans Raidel, deputies of the German Parliament.

Laszlo Varga pointed out that this was the third visit of German parliamentarians to the National Assembly in the last few months, which demonstrates Germany’s interest in Serbia joining the European Union and encourages the preparations for European integration.

Answering the German parliamentarians’ question about Serbian public opinion regarding European integration, Laszlo Varga said that the process enjoys stable support of about two thirds of the citizens, with marginal variations.

The German guests stated that, despite mounting public resistance in Germany and some other countries to further expansion of the European Union, Brussels sends a clear message that the Western Balkans region shall be integrated. This is evident in the decisions of the recent European Commission meeting where visa liberalisation for Serbia was endorsed.

The German parliamentarians were also interested in the Serbian parliament’s legislative activity and implementation of social reform.

Committee Chairman Laszlo Varga said that the amendments to the Rules of Procedure have made the work of the National Assembly much more efficient, adding that the Law on the National Assembly which is to be adopted and preparation of new Rules of Procedure, should further improve the Parliament’s operation. Some of the measures and reforms are unpopular, but they must be implemented, Varga said, as they are all in Serbia’s interest and therefore it is important to persevere in their implementation. By 2012 Serbia aims to have implemented all reforms foreseen by the National Programme for Integration of Serbia into the European Union and be ready to join the EU.

However, it is necessary that the EU helps Serbia on the way by specific moves, such as definite visa liberalisation and unfreezing of the Transitional Trade Agreement between Serbia and the EU.

In achieving this, Serbia expects particular support of the leading EU countries, such as Germany, the European Integrations Committee Chairman stressed.