Andreas von Beckerath: Talk of Serbia’s EU Accession Must Be Accompanied by Reforms

Andreas von Beckerath (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

The chief of the EU Delegation in Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath, welcomed on Nov. 27 the position of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and other government representatives about membership in the European Union remaining a strategic priority for the country, but said that the EU expected such statements to be accompanied by concrete action.

“We expect this commitment to be accompanied by concrete measures, especially regarding the carrying out of much needed reforms, especially in the field of rule of law – what we call the basics: rule of law, democratic institutions, respect for human rights. These issues are the essence of the accession process,” Ambassador Beckerath told the 021 portal.

He said it was important for the authorities to take greater responsibility in communicating the advantages of EU membership for Serbia. “The authorities should put an end to the anti-EU rhetoric that we saw in various parts of the media. I am always ready for a polemic with someone who believes Serbia should not join the European Union, it will really be my pleasure, but I think such a discussion should be based on facts and not on disinformation and lies,” he said.

On Nov. 26, Von Beckerath paid his first official visit to Novi Sad and met with the representatives of provincial and city authorities, with the opposition members of the Novi Sad City Assembly and civil society representatives. Before the meetings, Von Beckerath went to the city’s railway station and paid respect to the 16 victims of the collapse of the concrete overhang there on Nov. 1 last year.

“I think a look at the countries that have relatively recently joined the Union and saw immense benefits is a very strong argument for Serbia, too, but also what Serbia can lose if it does not become a member of the European Union,” the ambassador stated, adding that his job was to support Serbia in implementing the reforms needed for joining the EU.