"EU owes it to Serbia and itself to open chapters"

Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak has said the fact no chapters have yet been opened in Serbia's membership talks does not help EU's credibility.

Izvor: Tanjug

Monday, 08.06.2015.

11:44

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"EU owes it to Serbia and itself to open chapters"

He made the comments ahead of a meeting of EU leaders later this month in Brussels.

Lajcak also noted that the EU officially opened negotiations with Serbia in January 2014, and made the decision in December 2013.

Asked "how sensitive the EU is to recommendations to allow Serbia to make the next step in integrations as soon as possible," Lajcak said that Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic "who recently participated in a meeting of the Friends of Serbia (EP group) in Brussels, did not hide his disappointment over the fact it does not seem realistic that a decision to open chapters will be made at the June summit."

"It would be welcome if the EU showed a little more sensitivity on this issue," the Slovak official said.

Speaking about the meeting, he said it was "a good opportunity for the prime minister to present his views and what has been done so far."

"After that, very positive assessments were heard about the steps taken by the Serbian government. It was concluded that the country has political stability, economic indicators have improved, and there were also very positive words for Serbia and its position in the region. It was pointed out that this was responsible and constructive behavior. That is why everybody was talking about the need to open negotiations, including myself," said Lajcak.

Asked whether he feared the creation of "Greater Albania", he said that the Western Balkans is "on the right path" but that citizens and leaders "need to feel that the EU is present, that it monitors the goings-on and is more actively involved."

According to Lajcak, this relates "not only to responding to the issues and putting out fires of such situations," but involvement "as soon problems occur." He then pointed out that there will be "no new borders in the region."

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