"At this pace, Serbia will close EU chapters in 12 years"

"At this pace, Serbia will close EU chapters in 12 years"

"It is therefore important to speed up the process so that by 2023 we close all the chapters and sign the EU accession treaty, which the states would ratify over a year and a half, or two," Grubjesic said.

She added that all this was under the assumption that the EU will come out with an enlargement strategy in February which would specify 2025 as the year of possible admission to membership of two Western Balkan countries, which have made greatest strides in the integration process - Serbia and Montenegro.

Grubjesic assessed that the biggest obstacle for this was the dialogue with Pristina, "which, according to some scenarios, should be completed by the end of the mandate of Federica Mogherini, that is, by the end of 2019."

The former deputy PM in charge of EU integration also said that another obstacle was chapters 23 and 24, which concern the judiciary and fundamental rights - justice, freedom and security.