Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and head of the Standing Delegation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Prof. Dr Dragoljub Micunovic and Standing Delegation members Branko Ruzic, Dragan Todorovic, Natasa Jovanovic, Milos Jevtic, Bojan Kostres, Milos Aligrudic and Elvira Kovac, talked today at the National Assembly House to Thorbjorn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. In the meeting, it was estimated that the Republic of Serbia has made great progress in the field of reform important for European integration, and that the cooperation between the Standing Delegation and PACE has always been good.

Secretary General Jagland stated that the reforms implemented in Serbia were very impressive, and that the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has decided to replace post-accession analysis and oversight by regular monitoring of all member states. He added that Serbia represented an important center in the Western Balkans and that it has become a source of stability in the region. Jagland briefed the Standing Delegation members on the plan and process how the European Union as a legal entity would approach the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and the work of the Human Rights Court in Strasbourg. That would connect all EU countries into a single legal frame which would ensure a common legal space for both big and small countries, Jagland said.

Committee Chairman and Standing Delegation head Micunovic promised that PACE would enjoy the delegation’s full support in the upcoming reform and stressed that it was very important that such processes focus on human rights. He repeated that Serbia actively cooperates with the PACE Rapporteur on the report on the condition of human rights in Kosovo-Metohija and thanked the Council of Europe on its status neutral approach to the resolution of the Kosovo-Metohija issue. The fact that over 100 000 cases have been brought before the court in Strasbourg demonstrates that the issue of human rights is not fully regulated. Micunovic stressed that there was nothing more honourable than improving human rights and human dignity.

Micunovic went on to brief the Secretary General on the electoral system in Serbia and the problems regarding the deputies’ blank resignations.