National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia / Activities / Activity details

19 November 2024 The participants of the meeting
Tuesday, 19 November 2024
National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee Meets with German Bundestag EU Relations Committee
The Chairperson and members of the Foreign Affairs Committee met today with a delegation of members of the Bundestag Committee on European Union Relations, headed by Thomas Hacker.
The Committee Chairperson and National Assembly Deputy Speaker Marina Ragus was primarily interested in what is actually expected from the Western Balkans.
"Does Germany, as the strongest country of the European Union and a force around which all other members gravitate, see the area of the Western Balkans as part of the European Union or does it leave it to other geo-political players. That is the crucial question," said Ragus.
Thomas Hacker stressed that Germany wants the countries of the Western Balkans to become members of the European Union, regardless of what may happen to the countries of the Eastern Partnership. He particularly emphasised the importance and role of the National Assembly in achieving a unified society and the European integration process itself.
In the course of the conversation, Ragus pointed out that Serbia has been unjustly punished for decades for all the wars that took place in our region, and that it is time for that punishment to stop.
"I state that because it largely depends on Germany," Ragus emphasised.
She pointed out that peace and stability in the region are of crucial importance for Serbia, which advocates and guarantees them and confirms with its efforts to reach a mutually acceptable solution through dialogue with Pristina. However, says Ragus, only the Serbian side fulfilled the obligations assumed by the signing of the Brussels Agreement.
"Although there are no two parties that violate the dialogue, because only Pristina is blocking the dialogue by not fulfilling the obligations from the Brussels Agreement signed and guaranteed by Brussels' mediation - which is the formation of a community of municipalities with a Serbian majority. Still, this is a filter only for Serbia i.e. a condition for the opening of every new cluster," Ragus said.
The meeting was also attended by Bundestag member Josip Juratovic and Foreign Affairs Committee members Aleksandar Mirkovic, Biljana Pantic Pilja and Dunja Simonovic Bratic.