A delegation of the Foreign Affairs and European Integrations Assembly Committees, headed by the Committee Chairmen Prof. Dr Dragoljub Micunovic and Laslo Varga met today at the National Assembly House with the Foreign Affairs Committee delegation of the Italian Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies headed by Stefano Stefani, Committee Chairman.

In the talk they exchanged opinions on the current situation in the region and confirmed the traditional friendship between the two countries. All agreed that the overall relations between Serbia and Italy need to be improved further, particularly since Italy is a very important economic partner for Serbia.

Chairman Micunovic thanked Italy for its understanding Serbia’s position and its efforts to resolve the Kosovo-Metohija issue within the framework of International law. He stressed that Italy is one of Serbia’s most important partners not only because of the “Fiat” contract and economic and trade cooperation, but because it advocates that the EU agreement be unblocked without any additional conditions.

Stefano Stefani reiterated the position that Italy advocates that the transitional trade agreement be unblocked without any additional conditions and supports Serbia to continue on its way to the EU, because, as he said, Serbia’s entrance into the European Union is essential and inevitable and it contributes to the stabilisation of the relations in the region. Stressing that Serbia’s EU membership should facilitate the solution of some other issues, he announced that the Italian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee will strive to vote the largest possible support for Serbia and it’s road to the European Union at the beginning of next year.

The European Integrations Committee Chairman, Laslo Varga outlined Serbia’s priorities in 2009 for the members of the Italian delegation, which are the white Schengen list and status of candidate for EU membership. He deemed that the citizens’ obvious disappointment that Serbia’s efforts to speed up EU accession are disregarded need not be discussed. It is much more important, as he said, to talk about what Serbia plans to do because it gives its partners arguments to help its integration process.

Members of the Foreign Affairs and European Integrations Committees Natasa Vuckovic, Donka Banovic, Balint Pastor and Zeljko Ivanji also took part in the talk.