Talking to the EP rapporteur, Laszlo Varga said that the Euro-integration process has slowed down somewhat, but both the European Integration Committee and National Assembly were still ready to continue the internal reform aimed at speeding up the progress toward EU membership.

Jelko Kacin applauded the efforts to continue the European integration process, expressing an expectation that Serbia would continue to implement internal reform as that was the best way to approach EU membership. He stressed that Serbia’s achievements and results on the road to the EU are an encouragement to other countries in the region. Serbia has the support of the European Parliament and European Commission to be granted a date to begin negotiation with the European Union, but it has to achieve concrete results primarily in the fight against organised crime and corruption, said Kacin. He also stressed that reorganisation of the judiciary and strengthening institutions were the basis for the further steps Serbia plans to take in the European integration process. He deemed it positive that the European Integration Committee Chairman was from the opposition which enabled the creation of a broad consensus at the National Assembly on the most important issues for Serbia’s European future.

In the meeting, it was stressed that European integration was an irreversible process for Serbia and in the recent election the majority of the voters gave full support to the pro-European agenda as a priority which would receive full attention in the upcoming period. It was deemed that Serbia should be treated as an equal partner and should not expect more favours than the rest of the countries approaching the EU. Serbia is ready to continue the judiciary reform and fight against organised crime and corruption, but expects not to be set new conditions on its way to the European Union.