Today, National Assembly Speaker Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic opened the meeting of the Political Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly held at the House of the National Assembly of the Republic on Serbia on 6 and 7 September 2010.

Addressing the participants, the Speaker stated: “I wish to stress that the 2003 acceptance of, then, Serbia and Montenegro into the Council of Europe marked a big step in the country’s transition and democratisation process, as well as on its road to the European Union. After the breakdown of the State Union in 2006 the institutions of the Republic of Serbia took over the membership commitments. That was also when the first National Assembly Standing Delegation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly was formed. As soon as the following year, Serbia served as CE Chair which contributed to further strengthen the relations between the Council of Europe and Serbia as its member.

So far the cooperation between the National Assembly and the CE Parliamentary Assembly has progressed via the activities of the NARS Standing Delegation. The Delegation is active both in the plenary and Committee sessions. This activity stems from the fact that PACE has dealt with many issues concerning Serbia and the former Yugoslavia territories, which were very important to us.

I wish to stress that the National Assembly and the Government continue to assert Serbia’s commitment to building a democratic society based on the rule of law and observance of human and minority rights, principles of market economy, as well as building state institutions compliant with the EU accession criteria. NARS has proved ready to work expediently on adopting new laws for the purpose of harmonisation with European Union legal regulations, as well as CE standards.

Parliamentary diplomacy opens up room for political dialogue and debate on various issues particularly regarding the European integration process. In addition to adopting laws and harmonisation with CE standards and European Union legal regulations, NARS is attempting to facilitate the process through parliamentary diplomacy.

The South Eastern European countries’ European prospects, and particularly those of Western Balkan countries, help the countries and the region as a whole to remain on the path of peace and stability, bringing advancement and progress to the development of a region of economic prosperity”.