The Chairman of the European Integrations Committee, Laszlo Varga, talked today to the newly-appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary to Serbia, Imre Varga.

The conversation focused around Serbia’s accession to the European Union and the potential for improving bilateral, particularly parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.

Ambassador Varga pointed out Ireland voting in favour of the Lisbon Treaty as good news and expressed his belief that the Czech President will also sign the document by the end of the year, which would remove the obstacles to its coming into force. He underlined the importance of the Lisbon Treaty for further reform of the European Union and creation of the institutional conditions for its expansion to include the Western Balkan countries.

Ambassador Varga reminded that Hungary was the first to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, adding that the European Union cannot be whole unless it includes the Western Balkan countries. Therefore, it is essential that the European Union aid them in this effort, just as it aided the accession of central European countries.

The Ambassador said that Hungary was ready to help Serbia harmonise its legislation with EU’s legal heritage as well as in other ways. He also pointed out the potential for improving bilateral cooperation as a whole, and parliamentary cooperation in particular, through the cooperation of the two countries’ European integration committees, legislative committees and friendship groups.

European Integrations Committee Chairman Laszlo Varga stated that the European integration process has been blocked this year, even though Serbia began the year with the unilateral implementation of the Transitional Trade Agreement with EU. He highlighted the importance of ratifying the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Serbia and EU and announced that Serbia might apply for candidacy status by the end of the year.

According to the Committee Chairman, the announced abolition of visas for Serbian citizens at the beginning of 2010 is good news as it would influence a wider public support for Serbia’s European integration process.