Tonino Picula (BETAPHOTO/European Parliament/Michel CHRISTEN)
The European Parliament's Rapporteur for Serbia, Tonino Picula, said on Nov. 18 that he would probably visit Belgrade early next year.
"The exact date of my visit to Serbia has not been set, but I believe it will take place in the first couple of months of 2025," Picula told the BETA News Agency.
When asked whom he would meet in Belgrade and whether a meeting with President Aleksandar Vucic was planned, Picula explained that the role of the European Parliament's permanent rapporteur for a country primarily involved meetings with parliamentary committees responsible for European affairs.
"Typically, discussions are also held with the government’s department for European integration. There are also briefings with the ambassadors of EU member states in the country, as well as meetings with representatives of political parties, NGOs, and the business community. Of course, I am interested in speaking with the highest-ranking political officials, too. Whether such meetings will occur does not depend on me," he said.
In a comment on insults directed at him by senior government officials and pro-government tabloids in Serbia, Picula said he was much too an experienced politician to let provocations and insults, especially base ones, hinder him in carrying out this important task.
"I am not the one keeping the country stagnant on its European path. I can help it move forward," Picula emphasized.
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