The Bill was elaborated by Pavle Jankovic, Head of the Department for Regional Initiatives at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who said that the Agreement was modelled according to the Visegrad Fund with the goal to assist the development of relations with the civil society and academic structures and encourage regional cooperation in the Western Balkans. The purpose of the Western Balkans Fund is defined by the Statute which is a component part of the Agreement and concerns the promotion of closer cooperation between the contracting parties, fostering mutual relationships, stimulating the European integration process and joint presentations in third countries. The Fund’s objectives are realised through different types of cooperation, cultural, educational, scientific, etc. The Agreement was signed in 2015, and on the occasion the Republic of Serbia submitted a Declaration specifying that the fact it was signed should not be understood as recognition of the independence of Kosovo, which is a territory under international administration which is part of the Republic of Serbia. The Fund will be financed through equal contributions paid by the contracting parties, of 30,000 EUR per annum.

In the ensuing discussion the Committee members said that, on one hand, this Agreement cannot be put on the agenda for a plenary sitting because it is not an international agreement, which is contrary to the Constitution, asked how it benefits Serbia, initiated that the item be struck from the agenda, announced that, if the Agreement is passed, they would demand an assessment of constitutionality, while on the other hand, they stressed that the Agreement does not recognise the independence of Kosovo but refers to Resolution 1244, and is a continuation of cooperation in the region, and that the Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues had given its opinion on the Agreement, namely it was compliant with the Constitution.

After the discussion, the Committee members accepted the Bill on the Confirmation of the Agreement Concerning the Establishment of the Western Balkans Fund, accompanied by the Statute of the Western Balkans Fund by majority vote, and appointed Committee Deputy Chairperson Aleksandra Djurovic Committee rapporteur to the National Assembly sitting.

The Committee then proceeded to adopt three and reject one initiative for visits, noted the regular activities of the National Assembly’s standing delegations, adopted three reports on realised visits and noted other realised contacts.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Prof. Dr Zarko Obradovic, and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Dragan Sormaz, Dr Dijana Vukomanovic, Dr Milorad Mijatovic, Dusica Stojkovic, Djordje Kosanic, Miodrag Linta, Djordje Vukadinovic, Dubravka Filipovski, Natasa Mihailovic Vacic, Marko Blagojevic, Marija Obradovic, MA Jasmina Nikolic, Dr Sanda Raskovic Ivic, Natasa Sp. Jovanovic, Prof. Dr Ljubisa Stojmirovic and Aleksandra Djurovic.