“EU integration plan will be public”

BELGRADE Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Suzana Grubjesic says that the government should adopt the EU integration action plan in mid-December. She said that the plan would be available to public that would be able to see to which extent the European Commission (EC) recommendations were implemented. “EU integration plan will be public” “We are working seriously and as a team on concrete measures and citizens will have a full insight in each segment of the European integration. Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, who heads the Coordination Body for the EU, has issued an order to all ministers to fulfill recommendations from the EC’s annual report on Serbia’s progress in the European integration process,” Grubjesic told daily Blic. When asked whether the reopening of the dialogue with Pristina and talks on a political level would at least win Serbia a conditional date for the beginning of the EU accession negotiations in December, she said that she did not want to make any prognosis but that she could say that “the government will do everything in its power to get the date as soon as possible”. “This will not be easy at all. Difficult and responsible moves are ahead of us. Progress in the dialogue certainly increases our chances to get a date because normalization of relations with Pristina is a condition of all conditions and a request of all requests. We are all aware of that, as we are aware of the fact that we now have a chance to solve some big national issues that many of our predecessors were running away from, except for a few,” the deputy PM was quoted. She stressed that “internal reforms are badly needed not because Brussels requests them but because Serbian citizens request them”. “They are necessary in all segments and economy, judiciary and combat against corruption and crime are the most important. Europe will not solve our problems, we have to do this ourselves. The EU itself is not a goal but means to modernize Serbia and secure a better life for our citizens,” Grubjesic concluded. Suzana Grubjesic (B92, file) Blic Tanjug

“EU integration plan will be public”

“We are working seriously and as a team on concrete measures and citizens will have a full insight in each segment of the European integration. Prime Minister Ivica Dačić, who heads the Coordination Body for the EU, has issued an order to all ministers to fulfill recommendations from the EC’s annual report on Serbia’s progress in the European integration process,” Grubješić told daily Blic.

When asked whether the reopening of the dialogue with Priština and talks on a political level would at least win Serbia a conditional date for the beginning of the EU accession negotiations in December, she said that she did not want to make any prognosis but that she could say that “the government will do everything in its power to get the date as soon as possible”.

“This will not be easy at all. Difficult and responsible moves are ahead of us. Progress in the dialogue certainly increases our chances to get a date because normalization of relations with Priština is a condition of all conditions and a request of all requests. We are all aware of that, as we are aware of the fact that we now have a chance to solve some big national issues that many of our predecessors were running away from, except for a few,” the deputy PM was quoted.

She stressed that “internal reforms are badly needed not because Brussels requests them but because Serbian citizens request them”.

“They are necessary in all segments and economy, judiciary and combat against corruption and crime are the most important. Europe will not solve our problems, we have to do this ourselves. The EU itself is not a goal but means to modernize Serbia and secure a better life for our citizens,” Grubješić concluded.