On a visit to Belgrade on Thursday 22 May, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, reaffirmed European support for Serbia’s integration into the EU, while recalling the “necessary conditions” for this integration.
“From my discussions with Serbian political leadership it is clear that EU membership remains a strategic goal. However, I want to emphasise that we need to see actions also to prove and support those words. Reforms are how Serbia will advance along its EU path. There are no shortcuts”, she declared at the press conference.
When asked about the attitude of the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić, towards Russia (see EUROPE 13639/28), the High Representative merely reiterated her condemnation of the presence of the Serbian head of government at the Russian parade on 9 May, giving assurances that she had held a “long discussion” on the subject with him.
Kaja Kallas also reiterated the need for all the candidate countries to ensure a “genuine separation of powers” in their institutional structure and to guarantee the independence of the judiciary.
Serbia has been in the grip of massive demonstrations, particularly by students, since November (see EUROPE 13630/15) and some civil organisations are denouncing the abusive imprisonment of demonstrators who have been arbitrarily arrested.
The issue of Serbia’s dialogue with Kosovo and the normalisation of relations between the two entities was also addressed, according to the High Representative, who stated that she would shortly be organising a meeting in Brussels between their official representatives to assess the progress that has been made and the progress that is still to be made (see other news). (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)