27 October 2014 PACE Monitoring Committee rapporteur visits the National Assembly

27 October 2014 PACE Monitoring Committee rapporteur visits the National Assembly

Monday, 27 October 2014

PACE Monitoring Committee Rapporteur Visits National Assembly

Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Monitoring Committee rapporteur Samad Seyidov, currently visiting Serbia as part of the monitoring procedure of Serbia’s honouring of the obligations it had assumed by becoming a Council of Europe member, visited the National Assembly and on the occasion had separate meetings with the heads of the parliamentary groups and representatives of minority parties at the National Assembly.


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In the meeting with the heads of the parliamentary groups the PACE Monitoring Committee rapporteur spoke of the Serbia’s progress in the European integration process and the National Assembly’s legislative activities related to it.

The Head of the Serbian Progressive Party Parliamentary Group Zoran Babic said that Serbia has entered a period of intensive reform and harmonisation with European legislation all aimed at improving the citizens’ living standards. He underlined the importance of the Law amending and modifying the Labour Law, passed by the National Assembly in July of this year, thanks to which the unemployment rate has dropped to 20.3%, as well as the importance of the freshly passed budget rebalance and the law reducing the pensions and salaries in the public sector, since these measures were essential for the stabilisation of public finances.

The meeting with the PACE Monitoring Committee rapporteur was also attended by the Head of the Boris Tadic – New Democratic Party, Together for Serbia, Greens of Serbia Parliamentary Group Marko Djurisic and the Head of the United Serbia Parliamentary Group Nevena Stojanovic who stressed that the National Assembly has reached a consensus as regards Serbia’s European integration.

PACE Monitoring Committee rapporteur Seyidov commended the progress Serbia has achieved in the EU membership talks, also speaking of the citizens’ support of European integration and the judiciary reform and position of the media in Serbia.

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The meeting between the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Monitoring Committee rapporteur and the president of the Party of Democratic Action of Sandzak Dr Sulejman Ugljanin and the president of the Party of Democratic Action Riza Halimi focused on the position of national minorities in the Republic of Serbia and the protection of minority rights.

Dr Ugljanin and Halimi said that the recently conducted elections for national councils of national minorities have given the national minorities in Serbia one more body to help protect minority rights. Speaking of the position of Bosniaks in Sandzak and Albanians in Presevo Valley they underlined the need for an increased inclusion of these national minorities in the judiciary, prosecution, police and all other state bodies and public services. They also stressed that, though Serbia has passed excellent laws that protect minority rights, these need to be implemented more efficiently.

Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Monitoring Committee rapporteur Samad Seyidov said that respecting and protecting minority rights are key areas addressed by the Council of Europe.



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friday, 29 march
  • 9.00 - the National Assembly Speaker meets with the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Speaker’s Cabinet)

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