Addressing the representatives of the ruling coalition parliamentary groups, David McAllister said he had faith in Serbia’s European future, opining that it had achieved outstanding progress on the path to the European Union in the last few months. The idea that the Western Balkan countries have a European perspective in endorsed by all European leaders, said McAllister in the meeting with the Serbian MPs.
McAllister is sure that the first negotiations chapters would be opened in 2015, but Serbia still has many obligations to fulfil especially as regards combating crime and corruption, judiciary reform and state administration, as well as in the privatisation process.
The Head of the Serbian Progressive Party Parliamentary Group, Zoran Babic, listed the positive results of the Serbian Government’s reform policy, emphasizing the country’s determination to maintain good relations in the region. Babic also pointed out Serbia’s commitment to abide by the Brussels Agreement and implement its tenets, sure that all the open issues between Belgrade and Pristina would be resolved by dialogue.
We are aware of the many challenges of the Euro-integration process and the work ahead, said Babic to David McAllister, adding that to that end the National Assembly was busy passing reform laws which would enable the country to become a functional member of the European Union.
The representative of the Socialist Party of Serbia Parliamentary Group, Prof. Dr Zarko Obradovic, highlighted the importance of the Brussels Agreement which, he said, both sides should observe. Obradovic said that the disregard for human and minority rights in Kosovo-Metohija is something that calls for more attention. In the context of protecting minority rights, Obradovic added that Serbia has ensured education in all eight minority languages at the elementary, and fine minority languages at the high-school level.
Speaking about the protection of minority rights in Serbia, the Head of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians Parliamentary Group, Balint Pasztor, said that abiding by the rights guaranteed by the Constitution is crucial, but he expected some of the constitutional tenets to be further elaborated through laws. The Law on National Councils of National Minorities can serve as example to the countries in the region, said Pasztor, stressing that the national councils’ purview should be included in the laws regulating education, the media and official use of language. The officials should also work on boosting the representation of minorities in public services, the police, etc.
The meeting was also attended by the heads of the parliamentary groups of United Serbia Petar Petrovic, Serbian Renewal Movement - Demo-Christian Party of Serbia Aleksandar Jugovic, New Serbia Miroslav Markicevic and the Deputy Head of the Social Democratic Party of Serbia Parliamentary Group, Milena Bicanin. The meeting was also attended by the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, H.E. Michael Davenport.
David McAllister is visiting the Republic of Serbia in preparation of the resolution on Serbia’s progress that the European Parliament is expected to pass in March.