Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, Ambassador Sem Fabrizi, met with the newly appointed minister for Internal Affairs, Mr Aleksandar Vulin. Focus of the talks was the process of European Integration, especially in Chapter 24, that is in the jurisdiction of the Ministry.
Ambassador Fabrizi congratulated Minister Vulin on his new position in the Government of the Republic of Serbia and expressed his belief that the continuity in the excellent and open cooperation they had in the previous period will continue during his mandate as the Minister of the Internal Affairs.
He also stressed that the The EU gives great importance of establishing a convincing track record on investigations, indictments and final convictions in serious and organised crime cases including the seizure and confiscation of criminal assets.
“This will be key to assessing Serbia’s progress in the EU accession process. Fight against serious and organised crime, fight against high level corruption and the fight against terrorism should be a matter of priority as the EU needs to be reassured that Serbia’s commitment remains firm with its rule of law agenda,” said the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia.
Ambassador Fabrizi also appreciated and acknowledged the outstanding commitment and humane approach of Serbia towards refugees and migrants. Since the migration crisis began, the EU has contributed €150 mil to Serbia through various instruments available, responding to most needs identified by the Government.
“Serbia also already plays a positive role by cooperating in the EU Civil Protection mechanism,” Fabrizi said, emphasising Serbia’s positive engagement in the field of international police cooperation.
He also noted that Serbia was already engaging in a very positive way in the area of international police cooperation.
The Ambassador also pointed out the support of the EU worth 28 million Euros in the area of border management which contributes to the safety of citizens in Serbia by fighting smuggling of drugs, guns and unsafe foods.
The EU is engaged with the Ministry of Interior with a number of projects supporting Serbia’s efforts in migration management, fighting human trafficking, corruption prevention, civil protection and support to the asylum administration.
Minister Vulin presented the priorities in the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and pointed out that the fight against organised crime, corruption and street crime, which mostly affects citizens, will be even more intense in the coming period, and that special attention will be paid to financial investigations.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Government of the Republic of Serbia, as he stated, are ready to adequately react to all shifts in migration flows that may follow in the coming period.
“The Republic of Serbia remains a reliable and credible partner for everyone on the migration route, taking into account the safety of its citizens but guaranteeing the human rights of all migrants who are on our territory,” stressed Minister Vulin.
According to him, the Ministry of the Internal Affairs has good cooperation with EU agencies, as evidenced by the good results achieved through cooperation with the police of the region and EU member states in the fight against organised crime, drug markets, human trafficking and all other types of crime.