Dačić to meet with EU’s Ashton on July 26

BRUSSELS -- PM-Designate Ivica Dačić will meet with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton on July 26, Beta news agency has learnt.

Catherine Ashton (Beta, file)

According to Beta, the meeting will take place if Dačić becomes a prime minister on July 23.

Even though Ashton’s cabinet could not officially confirm the meeting, Beta news agency was told that the meeting could be expected.

Dačić has also announced that he would go to Brussles and meet with Ashton.

European diplomatic sources point out that the future Serbian PM’s first official visit to Brussels should show that the new Serbian government will be strongly committed to the country’s EU pathway.

The sources noted that it should be an opportunity for Dačić to explain some statements that have caused confusion in the EU.

The EU, which closely monitors developments in Serbia, also expects the future prime minister to explain how the cabinet is planning on resolving the issue of the growing budget deficit and public debt alongside combat against corruption.

Brussels also expects Dačić to say whether the new government will implement the necessary structural reforms, including the issue of many economically non-profitable state and public companies whose losses have so far been covered by the state.

According to the Brussels sources, one of the topics of the talks will certainly be resolving the relations between Belgrade and Priština since the European Commission needs to be able to inform the European Council that Serbia has fulfilled the conditions necessary for the start of the EU accession talks.

A key condition was to quickly renew the Belgrade-Priština dialogue and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić said recently in Brussels that the talks should be taken to a higher, political level.