31 July 2015 The Committee on the Economy, Regional Development, Trade, Tourism and Energy in meeting with the Head of Italian Parliamentary Delegation to CEI

31 July 2015 The Committee on the Economy, Regional Development, Trade, Tourism and Energy in meeting with the Head of Italian Parliamentary Delegation to CEI

Friday, 31 July 2015

Committee on the Economy, Regional Development, Trade, Tourism and Energy Met with Head of Italian Parliamentary Delegation to CEI

The meeting between the Chairperson and members of the Committee on the Economy, Regional Development, Trade, Tourism and Energy and the Head of the Italian parliamentary delegation to the Central European Initiative (CEI) Lodovico Sonego focused on Serbia’s NATO and EU membership, promotion of economic cooperation between Italy and Serbia and the invitation to take a joint stand at the CEI general assembly in Skopje.


Senator Sonego said that Italy strongly supports Serbia’s European integration and is in favour of a speedy opening of the negotiation chapters. However, he believes that the accession to the European Union should not in any way be preconditioned by NATO membership and that the Western Balkan countries should be allowed to freely choose whether they will join NATO, without pressure, following their free will and choice. The Italian Senator said that a declaration is being prepared which would send a message to the European Union about how important it is to continue with the enlargement, and invited the representatives of the National Assembly to take part in the CEI general assembly scheduled for November, in Skopje.

“The meeting in Skopje aims to remind Europe that the Western Balkans remain an open issue whose importance should not be underestimated”, said Sonego.

The meeting also touched on the importance of boosting cooperation in the areas of infrastructure, transport and energy, so Committee Chairperson Aleksandra Tomic informed the guests about the scope of the newly-established Serbian Parliamentary Energy Policy Forum. She thanked Senator Sonego for the hand of cooperation he extended to Serbia through his invitation and suggestions and for the message that Serbia should be the pivotal country in the Western Balkans.

Speaking of the extensive economic cooperation between Italy and Serbia, the Committee Chairperson drew attention to the growing interest of Italian agricultural producers for the Serbian market saying that they should be allowed access to the Serbian market via the IPARD funds. Cooperation with the Italian Chamber of Commerce would also contribute to it, added Tomic.

“We as MPs are open to create a high-quality investment climate through new legislation”, stressed Tomic.

The meeting was also attended by Committee members Ivan Bauer and Radomir Krstic.



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thursday, 28 march
  • 9.00 - consultations of representatives of the parliamentary groups about the election of deputy chairpersons of the National Assembly working bodies (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 1)

  • 10.00 - visit of the students of Stevan Dukic Elementary School to the National Assembly House (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square)

  • 11.00 - visit of the students of Drinka Pavlovic Elementary School Student Parliament to the National Assembly House (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square)

  • 11.00 - press conference of the Green-Left Front – Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)оwn Parliamentary Group (National Assembly House 13, Nikola Pasic Square. Central Hall)

  • 13.00 - the National Assembly Speaker meets with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Serbia (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Speaker’s Cabinet)

Full event calendar