BELGRADE — Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic says Serbia’s progress towards the EU “will depend on the assessment of whether there is progress in the dialogue with Pristina.”
Speaking after his meeting in Belgrade with Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, he told reporters that “Serbia will fulfill all that was signed in the Brussels agreement and all that is envisaged by the plan of implementation – but cannot be held responsible if someone sets new conditions.”
Dacic said he told his Italian colleague that screenings for all chapters in Serbia’s EU membership negotiations have been completed – and that this means Serbia is “ready for the opening of chapters.”
“This is now about political assessments of (EU) member states on whether there are political conditions to make that decision. Germany thinks that until chapter 35 related to Kosovo is opened, other chapters cannot be opened,” Dacic said.
Gentiloni told the joint news conference that his country was “certain Serbia’s European integration process should go a step further” and added that all conditions have been met for the European Commission (EC) to adopt a decision to open negotiating chapters in the months to come.
“We cannot delay the process because Serbia has taken on all the obligations and is working on their fulfillment,” Gentiloni said, “and expressed his belief that all conditions have been met for the EC to adopt the decision to open the chapters in the months to come,” Tanjug reported.
The Italian minister added that the two countries “share excellent political and economic relations” and announced that Italian President Sergio Matarella would visit Belgrade on May 25.
He noted that Serbian and Italian government should also hold a joint session soon.
“Italy is Serbia’s first economic partner and a country that supports its EU path most,” Gentiloni said, and added that “Italy also appreciates the work done by Belgrade within the dialogue with Pristina.”
