Dubravka Filipovski informed the French delegation about Serbia’s three foreign policy priorities – EU accession, regional cooperation and continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

She said that EU accession is Serbia’s strategic commitment that guarantees reforms and stability of the democratic institutions and, through legislative harmonization with European standards, a better life for the people of Serbia. She spoke about the challenge the unresolved status of the southern province is for Serbia and praised the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to find a solution to relaunch the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

Speaking of advancing interparliamentary cooperation, Filipovski said that the coming 141st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Belgrade in October will be an excellent opportunity to organize a series of bilateral meetings between France and Serbia on the margins.

The Vice-Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs Jacques Maire believes that Serbia should remain committed to its European path and reforms, as well as to advancing interparliamentary cooperation especially between the parliaments of the EU member states and the countries of the Western Balkans.

He said that Paris will propose to include the parliaments of the Western Balkans into the Berlin Process, which has so far not been the case and as such was a flaw in the process.

Speaking of the status of Kosovo-Metohija he stressed that France does not support the stalled dialogue and praised President Macron and Chancellor Merkel’s initiative to find a solution though dialogue.