The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, called on the new Serbian government to continue its efforts regarding the country’s economic recovery and implementation of reforms on Thursday 17 December.
“At the Stabilisation and Association Council by videoconference, we had a good discussion with the Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić, on economic recovery and reform implementation”, Mr Várhelyi said on his Twitter account after the meeting. He described these first steps by the new government as “encouraging”.
For his part, again on Twitter, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, called on the country to implement the necessary reforms, “in particular on Rule of law”. He also welcomed Serbia’s closer alignment with the Common Foreign and Security Policy. This alignment is currently weak.
Mr Várhelyi also expressed his pleasure that Belgrade had accepted the revised methodology for the enlargement process, presented in February by the European Commission (see EUROPE 12419/2, 12420/18).
According to a Council communiqué, the Stabilisation and Association Council provided an opportunity to take stock of the state of EU/Serbia relations. Both sides discussed bilateral relations in the framework of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and the state of implementation of this agreement, as well as the progress made by the country in its EU accession process.
An exchange of views was also held on developments in the Western Balkans, according to the Council. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)