Djuric at Friends of the Western Balkans Meeting: Serbia Is Pursuing Reforms for Its Own Sake

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric (BETAPHOTO/MINISTARSTVO SPOLJNIH POSLOVA SRBIJE)

Following a meeting of the Friends of the Western Balkans in Rome on July 10, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said that Serbia is pursuing reforms for its own sake.

“We are using the summit in Rome as an opportunity to further strengthen Serbia’s position in Europe in the context of opening clusters, while also promoting Serbia as a country pursuing reforms for the benefit of its citizens and for its own sake. We also raised the question of why the opportunity to open Cluster 3 would now be missed,” Djuric said.

The Serbian foreign minister said Serbia has made a “quantum leap” in legislative activity and is helping to create a positive atmosphere with regard to European integration. “I presented what Serbia has done. Serbia recently made a quantum leap in legislative activity, with 23 reform laws and further legislation currently planned. I believe we are creating a positive atmosphere and momentum when it comes to European integration,” he said.

Djuric said the meeting also addressed why the further enlargement of the European Union (EU) is important. “It was very important to convey the message here that Serbia is one of the cornerstones of our region in all three key areas - regional relations and the preservation of stability, the common foreign and security policy, and the implementation of reforms,” he said.

“We also discussed the broader geopolitical context, why it is important for Europe to enlarge at this moment, how the Balkan countries contribute to the resilience, security and stability of Europe as a whole, and the potential that they possess,” Djuric added.