Kovac: Montenegro Has Best Chance to Join EU Soon

Elvira Kovac (BETAPHOTO/MILAN ILIC)

Elvira Kovac, a deputy speaker of the Serbian parliament and chairwoman of the parliamentary Committee on European Union Integration, said on May 13 that the EU is again prioritizing enlargement and that Montenegro has the best chance of becoming a member soon, while progress is expected for Albania, Moldova and Ukraine too.

Kovac told the RTS public service broadcaster that Serbia must continue with reforms, alignment with European standards and the dialogue with Brussels, despite political issues. Reforms, following the rule of law and aligning with EU foreign policy are expected of the countries in the region, she said.

"All this should be an additional incentive for Serbia to carry out reforms," Kovac said. Speaking about the EU's demands to align foreign policy with Brussels, Kovac said this primarily pertains to sanctions against Russia.

"Serbia has a lower degree of alignment with EU joint foreign and security policy compared to other candidate countries, but the goal is to increase that percentage gradually," she said, adding that Serbia will adhere to its decision not to impose sanctions on Russia due to its fuel dependency and for political reasons.