The meeting focused on Serbia’s European integration, the role the National Assembly plays in the process and the parliamentary relations between Serbia and Germany.

European Integration Committee Chairman Aleksandar Senic said that the role of the National Assembly and the European Integration Committee is to harmonise Serbia’s national legislation with the EU acquis and maintain communication with the citizens about the importance of European integration. Senic said that the European Integration Committee also consults with civil society organisations, especially through the National Convention on the European Union which boasts 600 civil society organisations. The Committee Chairman added that the National Assembly has reached a consensus as regards European integration and the opening of the negotiations chapters would prove very significant.

The Chair of the Germany-Southeast Europe Parliamentary Friendship Group Peter Weiss said that the continuation of the talks between Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels is very important for Serbia’s European integration. It is Germany’s belief that the EU negotiations should start with chapter 35 – Kosovo, which should be followed by the opening of the rest of the negotiations chapters, said the Germany-Southeast Europe PFG Chair. Weiss said that EU accession is important for the Western Balkan countries’ stability and prospects, but the European economic crisis requires additional efforts to be put into persuading the citizens and Bundestag MPs of the necessity for further enlargement of the European Union.

The parliamentarians also discussed Serbian citizens’ support of European integration in which the Committee members said that the opening of negotiations chapters would send a positive signal to the citizens of Serbia.