BELGRADE -The Serbian government formed on Thursday a core team for negotiations with the EU, which will comprise 24 representatives of the public administration, academic community and non-governmental sector, said Jadranka Joksimovic, Serbian minister without portfolio in charge of the EU integration process.
“Serbia as a candidate country is sending a message to the EU that we have done everything in our power and fulfilled our obligations as a candidate country, and completed the negotiating structure. We will stand ready for the opening of the first chapters, I hope by the year’s end,” Joksimovic told Tanjug.
The core negotiating team will partake in creating a negotiating position, and report to the government on the negotiation process with the EU and inter-governmental conferences on individual chapters, she said.
The core negotiating team comprises the state secretaries of the Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs, the head of Serbia’s mission in Brussels, the director of the EU Integration Office and a representative of the minister in charge of the EU integration process, in this case a representative of the minister without portfolio.
Another 19 team members will be representatives of public administration, ministries, the academic community, the National Convention and non-governmental sector, said Joksimovic.