Brussels, 19/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 18 November, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini stated that Serbia should align its foreign policy with that of the EU. “I underscored that in line with its negotiation framework, Serbia will gradually have to align its foreign policy positions with those of the EU”, Hahn said at a press conference with Serbia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic. In a press release, Mogherini said she had “reiterated” the EU's position to Dacic on “the need for Serbia's gradual alignment with the EU's foreign policy”.
Dacic stated that his country was “gradually” going to align his foreign policy with that of the EU. “We know what we have to do”, he said, mentioning the reforms, normalisation of relations with Kosovo and the alignment of Serbia's foreign policy. “At the time of accession, Serbia will be fully aligned”, he added. There is hope of accession in the next five to ten years.
Serbia did not want to be aligned with the European sanctions against Russia as regards the Ukrainian crisis. Dacic said that his country's policy was “neither Russo-phile nor Russo-phobic”. The issue of Russia was discussed during Dacic's meetings with Mogherini and Hahn. Mogherini said she was “particularly interested to hear [Dacic's] point of view in light of the next Serbian presidency of the OSCE” in 2015. “We agreed that the crisis in Ukraine was a top priority and should be resolved in agreement with the fundamental principles of the OSCE”, she said.
Continuing on the European path. Dacic and Hahn discussed the reforms to continue and the normalisation of relations with Kosovo.
Hahn said he was “quite confident” as regards a negotiation chapter being opened “in the near future”. On his side, Dacic said that his country wanted to open Chapter 23 on financial control, on which there was “pretty much agreement”. Yet in his view, some member states would like Chapters 23 (judicial apparatus and fundamental rights), 24 (freedom, security and justice), and 35 (linked to issues with Kosovo) to be opened beforehand.
Hahn will visit Serbia on Thursday 20 November (our translation throughout). (CG)