ROME – “It is important that conditions are established for an inclusive dialogue involving all stakeholders, political actors, institutions and members of civil society to address the concerns and achieve consensus on reforms that are necessary for the European future of Serbia”, said EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos after the meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić.
Kos posted on X about the meeting with Đurić on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting of the group “Friends of the Western Balkans”, which took place yesterday in Rome.
Marta Kos also sent an open letter regarding the current situation in Serbia last week. In this document, Kos stated that she had been following the protests in Serbia closely, as well as that “freedom of assembly is a fundamental right that must be respected”. According to Kos, no violence against demonstrators should be tolerated and the European agenda strengthens the rule of law.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia stated that, during the meeting with Kos, Đurić stressed that “membership in the European Union is a strategic commitment and a priority of the foreign policy of the Republic of Serbia and that our country has set itself an ambitious task to implement all the reforms necessary for the accession to the EU by the end of 2026”.
“The minister presented to the interlocutor all the steps that our country has taken in order to preserve stability, and the interlocutors agreed that at this time, starting a dialogue that will include all elements of society in Serbia is needed”, the statement reads.
According to Đurić, “the process of EU accession requires an intensive effort of the entire society, which should be a national project owned by all social actors, and that therefore an inclusive social dialogue, with social responsibility, is necessary”.
Marko Đurić also met in Rome with EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, whom he thanked for her readiness to personally engage in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and her desire to help in the process of normalisation of their relations.