"Rule of law key on road to EU"

"Rule of law key on road to EU"

At a meeting with Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Sem Fabrizi and the ambassadors of the EU's member states, Brnabic said that she had wanted an open discussion on what Serbia had achieved so far.

"My opinion and idea are that a lot has been done. These are complex reforms that go at their own pace. Serbia and the cabinet did not want to rush things and enact certain laws at the cost of quality," she said.

Speaking about the process of constitutional reforms, Brnabic said that Serbia had wanted a comprehensive public debate lasting over nine months which would continue after the Venice Commission gave its opinion on the proposed constitutional reforms, so as to have the most quality and most inclusive process that would lead to constitutional change.

On April 13 the Serbian government sent the Venice Commission a proposal for constitutional amendments, she said, adding that she expected the first comments next week.

Brnabic said that the next meeting of this kind would be held in October, adding that the format of the talks was useful to both Serbia and the EU.

She said that the subject of the meeting were judicial reforms, a media strategy and the basic rights of national minorities.

Fabrizi said after the meeting that the rule of law was key to Serbia and the process of European integration.

Fabrizi said the meeting with the prime minister and all of the EU's ambassadors was constructive and very fruitful and that it had focused on the rule of law, i.e. chapters 23 and 24.

He lauded the readiness of the government and the prime minister to discuss these issues.