Andreas Schokenhoff, Hans Joachim Falenski and Johan Vadephul, Bundestag MPs from the ranks of the ruling Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) will pay a two-day visit to Belgrade, learned Danas daily in the diplomatic circles in Berlin.
According to paper’s source, main topics on the two-day visit agenda of German MPs with Serbian officials will be the ones that has to do with ‘continuation of Brussels dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and internal reforms, particularly in the area of rule of law’, along with Serbia’s relation toward Russia and the gas pipeline South Stream.
Bodo Veber, former associate in the Council for Policy of Democratization in Berlin, comments for Danas that German MPs are continuing the arrangement with regards to the Brussels dialogue, which has stopped due to parliamentary elections in Germany and creation of the new government and the parliament.
“I believe that German MPs will insist in Belgrade that dialogue, after the long break due to elections in Serbia, the European Union states and in Kosovo, has to get a new dynamic. In the same time, having in mind the fact that Schokenhoff is a sharp criticizer of Putin’s Russia and Russian intervention in Ukraine, I believe that he will find clear words with regards to relation of the official Belgrade and specific manner of ‘parallel diplomacy’ between the EU and ‘Euro-Asia’, concluded Veber.
Andreas Schokenhoff, who is high official in Angela Merkel’s party, is mostly known to Serbian public thanks to presentation of seven points which Germany expects from Serbia to fulfill on its way to EU. Let’s remind, the list includes signing of the legally binding agreement with Kosovo, which should be implemented by the end of Serbia’s negotiations over the EU accession.
Hans Joachim Falenski, foreign affairs adviser of the CDU-CSU fraction in the German Bundestag, has visited Belgrade several times so far. He attracted a considerable attention with his statement that most important thing is that it comes to normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, what would than open the way for mutual recognition, which would later include and Serbian consent on Kosovo’s seat in the UN.
Johan Vadephul is a member of several committees in Bundestag which are dealing with legislation, including the committee on legal matters and human rights and committee for rules and procedures, immunity and constitutional issues.
