"Much remains to be done until date for talks is granted"

BELGRADE EU representative Vincent Degert has said that it is "very important for Serbia's EU talks to open but a lot of work still needs to be done before this point." Commenting on Monday on the reaction of Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, who said the country was not interested in "the green light" and wanted a date for the start of EU accession talks instead, Degert said that he "understands that the prime minister and the government expect the decision on the date to be adopted in June." "Much remains to be done until date for talks is granted" "When all that needs to be done is completed, Serbia will get the green light," Degert said. He specified that a series of steps need to be made so that Serbia could get the date of talks, and one of the steps is embodied in the constitution of negotiating teams. According to him, the decision on the date of talks will accompany the recommendation of the European Commission. The prime minister said on Sunday that it is not acceptable for Serbia to get only the green light to open EU membership negotiations June 28 and not be granted the start date, as this could jeopardize the implementation of the Brussels agreement on the normalization of relations with Pristina. ”We are interested in a positive decision of the European Council regarding the start date for EU accession talks. If we do not get that, I think we will be deceived,” Dacic said on Sunday. Tanjug

"Much remains to be done until date for talks is granted"

"When all that needs to be done is completed, Serbia will get the green light," Degert said.

He specified that a series of steps need to be made so that Serbia could get the date of talks, and one of the steps is embodied in the constitution of negotiating teams.

According to him, the decision on the date of talks will accompany the recommendation of the European Commission.

The prime minister said on Sunday that it is not acceptable for Serbia to get only the green light to open EU membership negotiations June 28 and not be granted the start date, as this could jeopardize the implementation of the Brussels agreement on the normalization of relations with Priština.

”We are interested in a positive decision of the European Council regarding the start date for EU accession talks. If we do not get that, I think we will be deceived,” Dačić said on Sunday.