The members of the delegation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia at the Inter-Parliamentary Union met today at the National Assembly House with the delegation of the British Parliament at the Inter-Parliamentary Union in a two-day visit to Serbia. The delegation, composed of MPs from both houses of the British Parliament, was headed by Roger Berry, Labour MP.

The National Assembly delegation comprised deputies Nada Kolundzija, Jelena Trivan and Moma Colakovic.

The British Parliamentarians stressed that they support Serbia on its path to the European Union, adding that Serbia has made significant progress on that path. However, full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal remains a condition for joining the European Union. They were particularly interested in the economic and social trends in Serbia and how it was affected by the world economic crisis.

The members of the National Assembly delegation stressed that speeding up the accession to the European Union is one of Serbia’s main strategic goals. They expect that after the recent modification of the Rules of Procedure, the National Assembly will intensify its legislative activity to make up for the delay in passing laws in the previous period.

The members of the National Assembly delegation said that both the unilateral activation of the Provisional Trade Agreement and the invitation to the EU representatives to witness the activities undertaken in order to complete the cooperation with the Hague Tribunal show Serbia’s readiness to join the EU. However, the EU does not appreciate these activities or the achieved progress enough, which dampens the Serbian citizens’ enthusiasm. The delay in the liberalisation of the visa regime for Serbian citizens also contributes to it.

The deputies deemed that the consequences of the economic crisis are already evident in the Serbian economy and that the Government is preparing a packet of measures to maintain economic activities and attract foreign investment necessary for economic growth. They stressed that the budget provides for pensions and other social categories.