"We did much, deserve to open chapters in June"

"We did much, deserve to open chapters in June"

"I do not know whether it will happen or not, but we deserve it," Vucic told a joint press conference, adding he "hoped that Tusk would support Serbia in that process."

Vucic emphasized that "Serbia was on the European path and was continuing to implement economic measures aimed at improving the economic situation in the country, as well as the dialogue with Pristina, to contribute to political stability in the region."

Tusk commended Vucic’s government for taking the pro-European course and for progress made in implementing reforms, pointing to the importance of resuming the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and implementing the Brussels agreement on the normalization of relations.

Tusk said that "Serbia’s future in the EU was important to both Serbia and the Union."

"It is clear that Serbia is on the European path. I welcome Prime Minister Vucic’s achievements in regional cooperation and Serbia’s efforts to deepen relationships in the region," said Tusk, according to a Serbian government statement.

"In June, or September"

Also on Tuesday, Aleksandar Vucic "voiced his expectation that the first chapters of EU accession talks will be opened in June," Tanjug said.

"Serbia deserves to have talks on the first chapters opened in June. I hope we will soon complete the action plan for Chapters 23 and 24, relating to the rule of law, police and state of law, and if we manage to do that, the door will be wide open for use to start talks on the chapters in June. If not, it will happen in September," Vucic told Serbia's state broadcaster RTS.

"Serbia has completed the screening process in the best possible way, the latest progress report of the European Commission was better than the preceding ones, but it is clear that, when it comes to decision on opening the talks, it is about the issue of Kosovo, on reaching new important agreements on that path, but ones which would not harm national and state interests," Vucic said.

The prime minister also pointed out that EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Johannes Hahn, whom he met in Brussels on Tuesday, will depart for Berlin on Wednesday, while on May 7 he will visit Belgrade.

"Hesitant countries"

Johannes Hahn stated on Tuesday that opening chapters in Serbia's EU accession talks is hindered by "a group of hesitant EU member states," adding that he will try to persuade them to change their stance.

"We believe that it is in the common interest for the chapters to be opened as soon as possible," Hahn told reporters in Brussels after his meeting with Vucic, adding that some of the EU member states are hesitant in this respect.

"We will do all in our power to make them change opinion in the next few weeks," he said.

Hahn said that Serbia is practically ready to open Chapter 32 - financial control, but added that it is still questionable whether criteria relating to Chapter 35 - normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, are fulfilled.

"This is a political issue," Hahn said, stressing that in his opinion, opening chapters would provide a fresh impetus to the EU integration process of the entire region.