Dacic, McAllister Discuss Serbia’s EU Accession

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic (BETAPHOTO/AMIR HAMZAGIC)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic met in Brussels, on May 22, with the chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, David McAllister, to discuss Serbia’s accession to the European Union (EU), the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and current affairs in Europe and the region.

McAllister was positive about the reform process in Serbia, as well the steps the Government of Serbia had taken to align the national visa regime with the Union’s, but he also underlined the importance of further alignment with the EU foreign and security policy, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

Dacic said that Serbia didn’t find problematic the alignment with EU policies insofar as its national interests were not threatened, adding that the country’s accession to the Union remained a strategic goal, and that Belgrade was fully committed to stronger regional ties.

As for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, the Serbian foreign minister and the EP official agreed that only the talks and meeting the commitments arising from the Dialogue would lead to long-term peace and stability.

“For Serbia it’s the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities above all else,” Dacic said to McAllister during a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, where the Serbian foreign minister attends a working lunch for the EU and Western Balkan foreign ministers.