Head of the European Union Delegation to Serbia, Ambassador Sem Fabrizi and Ambassadors of the EU Member States held a video meeting with the newly re-appointed Minister of European Integration, Jadranka Joksimovic, for an exchange views on the priorities and prospects for the EU accession negotiations.
Minister Joksimović first presented the priorities in the work of the Ministry of European Integration in the coming period – both in terms of the European integration process and further negotiations on EU accession, as well as in terms of planning and programming development assistance to be provided by the European Union from Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance III.
Ambassador Fabrizi congratulated the Minister for her reappointment and expressed his wish for continuing an intense and constructive cooperation with the Minister and her team. He stressed that, as Serbia’s largest donor, investor, and most important trade and economic partner, the EU continues to be fully committed to Serbia’s EU accession process. He underlined the importance of the newly adopted Economic and Investment Plan and the recommendations contained in the 2020 Annual Report for accelerating Serbian integration, particularly in the area of rule of law.
The meeting confirmed the readiness of the new Government of Serbia to intensify reforms, which are a precondition for further progress in the process of European integration and a precondition for the overall sustainable development of our society and economy. In this regard, Minister Joksimović emphasized the determination to objectively consider the recommendations set out in the Annual Report of the European Commission and to undertake activities that will accelerate the already started reforms in key areas.
Joksimovic expressed the expectation that in accordance with the new methodology, for which Serbia expressed acceptance at the highest political level, an Intergovernmental Conference would be held by the end of the year, at which Serbia would present its results and strategy for EU accession for next year.
Minister emphasized that there is a clear political will of the new Government to define the most important and umbrella political issues from the EU accession process in the context of the broadest social consensus and dialogue, and that the new Government has a programmatic course towards membership in the Union, which are necessary in the process of accession towards the EU.
During the talks, the Minister took the opportunity to thank the European Union and its member states for the support approved so far from Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance II, which includes emergency support in emergency situations such as floods or the COVID-19 pandemic. She especially pointed out that during the summer, Serbia submitted to the EC proposals for financing from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance III and the Investment Framework for the Western Balkans, including the proposals included in the Economic-Investment Plan for the Western Balkans. She also informed the EU ambassadors that an application had been sent for the EU Solidarity Fund, which is an additional instrument of EU assistance, and that the EC would approve assistance from this instrument in the coming months.
The EU Ambassadors and the Minister agreed to keep pursuing constructive cooperation, particularly during the Covid 19 pandemic – in order to tackle identified challenges on Serbia’s EU accession path and make the most out of the opportunities brought by the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans.