BELGRADE - The political chapters- 23, 24 and 35, should be the first to be opened this year in the EU integration process, Serbian Minister without Portfolio responsible for EU integration Jadranka Joksimovic said on Tuesday.

In a live broadcast on Radio-Television of Serbia, Joksimovic said that the year behind us was marked by the reforms and major efforts aimed at creating a successful and modern state.

“We are not putting reforms in place so that we break records in chapter opening, but rather to set a new record in reforms, if possible,” Joksimovic said.

Last year, it was signaled that Chapter 32 on financial control would be the first to be tackled, she said, noting that, however, the view prevailed that political chapters should be addressed at the very start of the process.

“This year, I expect that chapters for which we are drafting actions plans - 23 (judiciary and fundamental rights) and 24 (justice, freedom and security) will be opened relatively soon,” Joksimovic said.

Asked whether Germany is insisting that the EU opens Chapter 35 first, which deals with the normalization of relations with Pristina, Joksimovic expressed her opinion that it would probably be “in some combination”.

“The German Bundestag passed a resolution a year ago which says that Chapter 35 should be among the first to open, so I see that as a rigid stance. I believe that, in some combination, we will be able to start with that chapter too,” she said.

According to Joksimovic, the government has not changed the priorities set at the first intergovernmental conference between Serbia and the EU, which state all work should be completed by 2018, and Serbia should join the EU by 2020.

We have not changed our objectives. By 2018, we have a national plan for adopting the EU acquis, which means that by the end of 2018, our laws need to be fully harmonized with those of the EU. Realistically speaking, the whole process takes 5-6 years, Joksimovic said.