FM: Unacceptable to delay chapter opening until 2016

FM: Unacceptable to delay chapter opening until 2016

This is a matter of principle, we have waited enough, Dacic told a regular press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.

The progress made in the Brussels dialogue with Pristina and the signing of four agreements should be an incentive for the opening of the first chapters in EU membership talks, the minister said, adding that now Brussels should fulfill its promises.

120,000 migrants

Speaking in Luxembourg on Saturday, Ivica Dacic said that illegal border crossing was recorded in Serbia for a total of 120,000 people, 108,000of whom said they will seek asylum, while only 500 of them actually filed asylum applications.

During the meeting of ministers of foreign affairs from EU member countries and candidates, Dacic recalled that Serbia unfortunately has major painful experiences with refugees, IDPs and migrations.

Around 44,000 refugees from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina are staying in Serbia and we have been tending to their needs for two decades now, Dacic said and added that as few as 1.9 percent of 220,000 IDPs (internally displaced persons) who departed from Kosovo and Metohija in 1999 have returned to their homes until now.

It should not be forgotten that Serbia primarily has the obligation toward these people because this problem is not smaller than the problem of migrants from Near East and Africa, Dacic said.

Despite this issue, Serbia is providing migrants with the assistance they need although the living standard of their citizens is in jeopardy over economic problems, and the needs of refugees from the region and IDPs are not met, Dacic said.

He recalled that the EU has allocated EUR 1.7 million of assistance for Serbia and Macedonia, which is not enough to cover even a considerable part of current needs.

Dacic underscored that this is the reason why he is delighted with the announcements that the conference on challenges on the Western Balkan migrant route could be held on October 5 and 6, during which tangible measures of assistance should be established.