The Head of the Norwegian parliamentary delegation to the PACE Karin Woldseth and the delegation members showed interest in the political and economic situation in Serbia, primarily, Serbia’s position on addressing the Kosovo-Metohija issue. The Norwegian delegation, who had previously visited Sarajevo, was also interested in Serbia’s position on the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
MPs Aleksandra Djurovic and Milos Aligrudic stressed that the Kosovo-Metohija issue is Serbia’s main problem and that it would never recognise its Province’s independence.
Serbia advocates continuing the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina at the highest level which would resolve the open issues. The member of the National Assembly’s delegation to the PACE Milos Aligrudic stated that it would be good if the negotiations led to an agreement which would solve the status issue of Serbia’s southern province.
MP Aleksandra Djurovic informed the members of the Norwegian delegation that the new Government’s main priorities are fighting corruption and crime, continuing European integration and solving the economic situation the country is in. She stressed that, to that end, the Serbian Government would soon propose a programme to overcome the economic crisis containing measures for reducing the budget deficit, assisting the most endangered categories and other and expressed belief that the new public procurement law would contribute to better public finance control.
The members of the Serbian delegation stressed that Serbia, as signatory of the Dayton Accords, advocates its application, adding that amendments to it are possible only by consensus of all three constituent nations living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, without imposition of outside solutions.
The members of the Norwegian Parliament’s delegation to the PACE shared their support of Serbia’s approach to the European union, and both sides deemed that Serbia and Norway enjoy excellent interparliamentary cooperation and that Serbia should implement many of Norway’s positive experiences such as, for example, those stemming relating the auditors’ work.