Giaufret: Serbia to Step up Work on Reforms

Emanuele Giaufret (BETAPHOTO/MILAN ILIC)

The European Union’s ambassador to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, said on Nov. 10 that no new elections were expected in Serbia in the coming period, and that the Union rightfully expected its work on reforms to be accelerated.

“It is necessary to work on further alignment with the EU foreign policy, even though a note has been made of Serbia’s contribution to our crisis management missions in Africa. Serbia’s humanitarian and financial assistance to Ukraine has been noted as well, and we do appreciate it,” the EU ambassador said in an interview with the Politika daily.

Giaufret, who had recently delivered to the authorities in Serbia the EU report on the country’s progress, said that “the pace of Serbia’s progress will be made conditional  on the degree of reforms in so-called fundamental areas, including the rule of law, democracy, efforts to curb corruption and organized crime, and of course, the normalization of relations with Pristina.”

Speaking about the Belgrade-Pristina relationship, Giaufret underlined that their dialogue had no alternative. “One of the measurable indicators of progress is the fulfilment of obligations accepted earlier by Belgrade and Pristina alike, because the normalization of relations, in its final form, will improve the life of the local population,” the EU ambassador to Serbia said.