"Serbia to be part of EU, not ex-Soviet republics"

Zorana Mihajlovic has told Radio Free Europe that Serbia "plans to, by 2020, become a part of the EU and not of the alliance of former Soviet republics."

Izvor: Tanjug

Monday, 21.12.2015.

10:11

Default images
(Beta, file)

"Serbia to be part of EU, not ex-Soviet republics"

Mihajlovic stressed that "Serbia so far, today, but also in the future, should maintain good relations with everyone, including the Russian Federation," pointing out that "some EU countries perhaps have better relations with Russia than Serbia itself."

Mihajlovic also told the broadcaster that the Serbian government is united around this issue, and that "everything that done over the previous year was done on the road towards the EU."

"We opened the chapters. It was not easy. Normalization of relations with Kosovo and the negotiations were difficult, they are hard, and will be hard in the future, but speak in favor the fact that the government had a plan and wanted to do it," she said.

When the interviewer remarked that "experts at home and abroad have doubts regarding the evaluation of Serbian Prime Minister the Aleksandar Vucic that Serbia will in 2019 close all chapters," she said that "many also doubted a year and a half ago when it was said the deficit would be reduced, and positive economic growth achieved, at a time when economic growth was negative."

Mihajlovic added she "believes that we can close all chapters in 2019."

Asked whether the government "has a strategy regarding Kosovo and Russia," Mihajlovic said that "nobody is asking Serbia to recognize Kosovo as an independent state" and that "normalization of relations does not mean recognition."

Serbia's future EU membership "does not mean recognition - nor is the EU demanding that from Serbia," she said.

"Everything this government is doing is an attempt for our citizens to live in Kosovo in a dignified and decent manner. That is normalization of relations within Kosovo itself. The current situation in Kosovo shows that we do not quite have normalization of relations," said Mihajlovic.

She added that Serbia attaches "great importance" to the future Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo.

"Everything Serbia did in previous months was done so that the Community could function in reality and to help our people be able to live there," said Mihajlovic.

Komentari 12

Pogledaj komentare

12 Komentari

Možda vas zanima

Podeli: