Deputy PM continues visit to Germany

BERLIN, BELGRADE Serbian Deputy PM for EU Integration Suzana Grubjesic is on Tuesday continuing her visit to Germany, started yesterday. She on Monday met with Johann Wadephul, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU) rapporteur for Serbia in the Bundestag, Tanjug reported. Deputy PM continues visit to Germany Wadephul was then quoted as saying that Germany's ruling coalition "still has not made a decision regarding Serbia's date for EU accession talks," but that after an initial debate inside the CDU parliamentary group, "he sees a chance for a positive decision." Wadephul said it is very important for the CDU that the Brussels agreement be implemented on the ground. "The CDU sees the future of Serbia and the entire Western Balkans in the EU and the party supports Serbia's European path in this sense," said he, according to a Serbian government press office statement. Meanwhile, Grubjesic said Serbia expects clear support from Germany for starting accession talks with the EU. "We expect a clear and specific decision from the Bundestag regarding the opening of talks, so that Serbia will have a chance to move forward and focus, above all, on internal reforms," Grubjesic said at the meeting held at the Bundestag at the start of her visit to Germany. Grubjesic informed Wadephul about Serbia's progress in the process of European integration, especially in normalization of relations with Pristina and the implementation of the Brussels agreement, adding that implementation is in Serbia's best interest, reads the release. On Tuesday Grubjesic will meet with Andreas Schockenhoff, deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief adviser for European affairs Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, and Minister of State in charge of European affairs at the Federal Foreign Office Michael Link. Suzana Grubjesic (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Deputy PM continues visit to Germany

Wadephul was then quoted as saying that Germany's ruling coalition "still has not made a decision regarding Serbia's date for EU accession talks," but that after an initial debate inside the CDU parliamentary group, "he sees a chance for a positive decision."

Wadephul said it is very important for the CDU that the Brussels agreement be implemented on the ground.

"The CDU sees the future of Serbia and the entire Western Balkans in the EU and the party supports Serbia's European path in this sense," said he, according to a Serbian government press office statement.

Meanwhile, Grubješić said Serbia expects clear support from Germany for starting accession talks with the EU.

"We expect a clear and specific decision from the Bundestag regarding the opening of talks, so that Serbia will have a chance to move forward and focus, above all, on internal reforms," Grubješić said at the meeting held at the Bundestag at the start of her visit to Germany.

Grubješić informed Wadephul about Serbia's progress in the process of European integration, especially in normalization of relations with Priština and the implementation of the Brussels agreement, adding that implementation is in Serbia's best interest, reads the release.

On Tuesday Grubješić will meet with Andreas Schockenhoff, deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief adviser for European affairs Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, and Minister of State in charge of European affairs at the Federal Foreign Office Michael Link.