The Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and acting President of the Republic of Serbia, Predrag Markovic, today held separate talks with Jean Louis Laurence, Director of the Strategic Planning Directorate of the Council of Europe, Jorgen Grunet, head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, and Ambassador Maurizio Massari, head of OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro.

The talks centred on the creation of a new constitution. Council of Europe officials expressed their full support to the drafting of a new constitution, offering assistance through the Venice Commission, a separate Council of Europe body offering expert assistance in matters related to constitutional law.

Mr Markovic also talked on the drafting of a new Serbian constitution with Ambassador Maurizio Massari.

Mr Massari acquainted the Chairman of the National Assembly with the Mission’s activities and offered expert assistance in the drafting of the new constitution. The talks focused on presidential elections and priority legislation, such as the act on the prevention of conflicts of interest, the package of economic legislation, as well as the act on medicines and medical supplies.