Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday met Patriarch Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church and both expressed understanding for the political and economic situation that Serbia is in.

On one hand, the top state officials and the top dignitaries of the Serbian Orthodox Church understand very well the difficult political moment that Serbia is in and, on the other hand, the fact that Serbia is economically tied to the EU and Western countries, Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic, who attended the meeting alongside several other ministers and church dignitaries, told reporters. The discussions were ample and full of understanding, Selakovic said, adding that it is important that a balance is struck between Serbia's political and economic interests at an important moment such as this.

The meeting was scheduled following newest developments on Serbia's EU accession path after Serbian officials learned about content of the draft platform for Chapter 35.