European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia, David McAllister said in an interview to Vecernje Novosti daily that this horrible crime should not inflame dangerous rhetoric in the region.

He again condemned the murder of Oliver Ivanoic and expressed sincere condolence to his family. McAllister underlined that the responsible judicial institutions must conduct a swift and professional investigation and bring perpetrators before the justice.

McAllister also told Vecernje Novosti that the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue has no alternative and that 2018 is a definitely important year for the Western Balkans. He added the European Commission would present its Enlargement Strategy in February, reports on particular states, including Serbia in April this year, and in May an EU Summit would be organized in Sofia.

Asked to comment on a possibility that Serbia joins the EU in 2025, McAllister said it depends upon reforms and harmonization of Serbia’s laws with that of the EU. In practice it means that Serbia must fulfil all criteria the EU set in 35 chapters, before the final conclusion of the negotiation, Vecernje Novosti reported.