EP Concerned over Regime-Opposition Dialog in Serbia, Wants It to Start Soon

Tanja Fajon(Beta/STA/Tamino Petelinsek)

Tanja Fajon, head of the European Parliament's delegation for cooperation with Serbia, has said that it was the European Union's interest for the dialog between the Serbian authorities and opposition to resume as soon as possible, and that the EU's legislative body was concerned over the fact that the participants of the talks have not been defined.

Fajon, a member of the EP mediation team for the dialog between the Serbian regime and opposition, told N1 TV late on Jan. 14 that the next step was meeting with Serbian parliament Speaker Ivica Dacic. So far only EP Committee on Foreign Affairs chairman David McAllister has spoken with Dacic, expressing support to resuming the dialog.

"I expect a new conversation next week between Ivica Dacic and David McAllister. At the same time, we are talking in the European Parliament and considering next steps. We should work on reforms. Serbia hasn't opened any chapters (in 2020). We need to step up the process. The dialog matters and I'm hoping for an optimistic start to the year," Fajon said.

She added that "the Serbian side is free to state what it wants to see in the dialog."

"I am close to both the opposition and the ruling structures, to the civil sector and to the media. I have been following the situation in Serbia for a long time. I'm concerned with what is going on and I want to support Serbia in all reforms, so it can join the EU as soon as it can. Our main motivation is Serbia -- the process of reform and support to Serbia," the Slovenian MEP said.