"EU accession, regional stability Serbia's priorities"

"EU accession, regional stability Serbia's priorities"

"EU accession is a goal of Serbia and the Western Balkans, and it can only be achieved by taking huge strides forward, rather than by making inflammatory statements that put the region back into the past," Dacic said.

According to the remarks published by the Serbian government, he at the same time "stressed the importance of opening negotiating chapters with the aim of continuing the dynamics and continuity in the progress towards European integration."

"One of the foreign policy priorities of our country is stability in the region, where Serbia will invest maximum efforts to give its constructive role in making the Balkans a zone of stability and peace," Dacic said.

The two officials agreed that Serbia is on the right track, and that it is necessary to compensate for what was lost in the past.

Dacic "stressed that Serbia will do everything to contribute to the continuation of dialogue with Pristina, but that it also expects Pristina to fulfill what is the most important for Serbia, and that is the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities."

Hahn said he expects that two new chapters in negotiations on Serbia's membership in the EU will be opened this month, and stressed that this process will continue in the second half of the year.

The EU official "underlined that the aim of his visit to Serbia is to show the citizens concrete results of the European integration process, since citizens are becoming a bit tired of usual outcomes and conclusions of summits."

Hahn "stressed that the progress in dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is a precondition for the prospects of joining the European Union, and expressed hope that Pristina will confirm its commitment to that process, since dialogue has no alternative" and "reiterated that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic showed that he is committed to dialogue and that is what the EU expects from Pristina, as this is a prerequisite for the entry into the EU."

Dacic and Hahn noted that dialogue must lead to concrete results, despite a difficult past, due to the fact that for both sides it is important to have a successful and constructive dialogue, the Serbian government announced.

Later in the day, Hahn met with Vucic, and then held a joint news conference.

While on his working visit to Serbia, the EU official will also participate in the EU-West Balkan Investment Climate Forum.

According to announcements, the gathering will consider "the importance of structural reforms to improving the investment climate and building regional economic networking with a view to a speedier approach to the EU market."

Beta reported that Hahn said ahead of the conference that agreement had been reached on the necessity to create a joint regional economic market.