Halacheva: European Commission Expects Serbia’s Strategic Orientation

Plamena Halacheva (BETAPHOTO/MILAN ILIC)

The deputy head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Plamena Halacheva, said on Nov. 1 that in this year’s Enlargement Package, the European Commission had placed a heavy emphasis on the EU accession process as a strategic goal and expected Serbia to provide its strategic orientation.

Although the Serbia Report, as part of the Enlargement Package, commends Serbia’s financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Halacheva noted a lack of progress in aligning with the EU’s positions.

"The level of alignment with EU declarations and positions is 51 percent, lower than last year. What is evident in this Enlargement Package is that the focus is on accession as a strategic goal. We expect Serbia to align its policies toward third countries with EU policies. We also expect Serbia to provide its strategic orientation," Halacheva said at a "Public Reading of the European Commission’s Report on Serbia 2024" in Belgrade.

Halacheva also said that Serbia’s constructive engagement in the dialogue with Kosovo was a requirement that had to be respected, and that the EU expected full cooperation and all necessary measures to ensure that those responsible for the attack in the northern Kosovo village of Banjska, in September 2023, were brought to justice. "All in all, the speed of reforms has slowed due to early elections, which have impacted government activities. Since there are no elections in sight now, I hope we will see progress in the upcoming period," Halacheva added.