The National Assembly Speaker noted that, since the last meeting in September of last year, also at the National Assembly, Serbia has made considerable progress on its road to reform and meeting European standards, adding Ireland’s taking over of the Presidency of the European Union in January has marked a good period for Serbia in Europe. I believe we have done a lot, said Stefanovic, adding that we have adopted the Brussels Agreement and started to implement it as was expected of us. However, Stefanovic continued, there is still the issue of the start date for the European Union talks. Stefanovic expects that the Republic of Ireland, as the state presiding over the European Union, would give a strong positive signal as regards the start date for the European Union talks.
The National Assembly Speaker declared the two countries’ bilateral relations excellent, adding that the parliamentary relations should follow the overall relations between Serbia and the Republic of Ireland.
The Irish Minister for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton said that, in her bilateral meetings with several Serbian high officials, she was given the same message – that Serbia has fulfilled its part of the agreement and now it is the European Union’s turn to hold up its part of the agreement, adding that she endorses this attitude. Minister Creighton said that the Republic of Ireland fully supports the beginning of talks between the European Union and Serbia and that it has fully set its political influence in favour of this position, expressing optimism that this decision would be made since Ireland believes that Serbia has met all the criteria. Lucinda Creighton added that she would talk to her German fellow Minister for European Affairs and that the head of Irish diplomacy would do something similar – directly ask for support for the beginning of talks with Serbia from the German Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The National Assembly Speaker assured his guest that the Parliament will take an important role in the process of harmonisation with European legislation, saying that the process has already begun as far as chapters 23 and 24 in the talks are concerned.