The Speaker of the National Assembly Ivica Dačić received the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, Ambassador Sem Fabrizi.
Ambassador Fabrizi congratulated the Speaker of the National Assembly Ivica Dačić on taking office and expressed his belief that the good cooperation, achieved during Ivica Dačić’s mandate as the head of diplomacy, will continue in his new capacity.
The Speaker of the National Assembly Ivica Dačić informed his interlocutor about the current activities and priorities of the work of the National Assembly in the forthcoming period. He emphasized his readiness to work on strengthening the role of the National Assembly during his mandate. He also informed his interlocutor that the National Assembly has already made a number of changes in its work aimed at improving the functioning, which are in line with the recommendations from the European Commission’s Progress Report on Serbia. He underlined that the National Assembly will try to contribute to the process of European integration of the Republic of Serbia in the best way, through its work and activities.
The Speaker of the National Assembly, in agreement with the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister, informed on soon to be organised Session of the National Assembly, dedicated to the European Commission’s Progress Report on Serbia for 2020. The Progress Report will be discussed in plenary for the first time ever.
The two discussed the inter-party dialogue and plans for its continuation, in accordance with earlier agreements reached between the representatives of the European Parliament and the former National Assembly Speaker. National Assembly Speaker Ivica Dačić announced that special attention would be paid to this issue after the adoption of the budget, and that he will soon initiate talks with David McAllister, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, in this context, in order to exchange views on inter-party dialogue, the subjects it would include, participants, time constraints, etc.
Ambassador Fabrizi emphasised the importance the EU attaches to the continuation of the inter-party dialogue and welcomed the readiness for its soon continuation. He positively assessed the initiative for the European Commission’s Report on the Progress of the Republic of Serbia to be considered in the National Assembly. He welcomed the changes in the work that the National Assembly has started to implement and expressed the readiness of the EU to provide all the help and support for further improvement of the efficiency of the work of the Parliament.
Ambassador Fabrizi also underlined the importance of inclusion of civil society organisations to the legislative process.