Mr. Kelly congratulated the National Assembly Speaker on being elected and noted that the Assembly Speaker’s and the new parliamentary legislature’s first steps give reason for optimism among the international organisations sent to Serbia for cooperation with the representatives of the legislative power. Mr. Kelly stressed that NDI has enjoyed excellent cooperation with the Parliament and hoped that the current assembly legislature would also sign an agreement of understanding between the two parties.

Speaker Stefanovic informed his guest that what is important for the National Assembly at the moment are the three directions in which the Parliament’s role should be strengthened – primarily the parliament’s control role over the executive, then the Parliament’s outreach to the public and protection of minority rights and democratic social legacies.

Both deemed that the assistance of international organisations and NDI in this case, in the upcoming period, should be aimed at strengthening the role of assembly committees in the control of the government, e-Parliament projects and sending the message that the citizens should have a greater influence on the Government they elected. In principle, they agreed on future programmes the NDI would realise with the National Assembly, the first step being a seminar for the MPs who have been elected into the Parliament for the first time and who would be able to learn some more about the key concepts of parliamentary work, the role they have, the manner of control over the executive and closer cooperation with the citizens who elected them.