BRUSSELS, 16.9.2015 – Franc Bogovič (SLS/PPE), MEP, member of the delegation to the EU-Serbia Parliamentary Stabilization and Association Committee and vice-president of an informal group Friends of Serbia – organized today, on its own initiative, together with the president of the group Emilian Pavel (S&D), a meeting in the European Parliament with Jadranka Joksimović – minister without portfolio in charge of European integration in the government of the Republic of Serbia and coordinator for Serbia’s Pre-accession Assistance. The main objective of the meeting was to inform the members of the European Parliament about Serbia’s current progress in the process of rapprochement and accession to the EU and to exchange opinions on the continuation of the enlargement process of the EU, regional cooperation as well as on the current refugee crisis. .
Following the meeting with the Serbian Minister of European Integration Jadranka JoksimovicEuropean deputy Franc Bogovic said that today’s meeting mainly focused on two hot topics: Serbia’s integration process into the EU And migration problem or refugee crisis. Minister Joksimović informed MEPs about Serbia’s current progress in the process of rapprochement with the EU. On the other hand, Bogovič stressed that the Friends of Serbia group as well as other members of the European Parliament present at the meeting shared the opinion that Serbia had made great progress in key areas which were the conditions to open chapters for Serbia and that they support the opinion that the first chapters of negotiations for Serbia’s accession to the EU should be opened by the end of 2015.
Regarding migration issues and the refugee crisis, Bogovič said after the meeting that these days it is also a central topic in the European Parliament, because Europe is facing a difficult situation in this regard. “In such a situation, Serbia is one of the countries that is currently handling the problem in the best way and creating solutions,” Bogovič said.. In his words, the MEPs present from Friends of Serbia A group of different political groups share the opinion that it is first necessary to prepare the European policy which would solve this problem, namely that the refugees can reach the desired final destination, while on the other hand knowing according to which set of rules by which they are treated.
» On the other hand, we all emphasized that Serbia, Hungary, Greece and Italy should receive aid in the form of European money and that we should talk about serious money in this sense, like the previously mentioned amount (1.7 million euros) is really not a serious offer,” Bogovič added about financial support to countries currently under the greatest pressure due to the refugee crisis. Bogovič will work to increase financial aid funds to these countries, including Serbia, to facilitate the management of the migrant and refugee crisis.
Background:
Friends of Serbia, the informal group of members of the European Parliament, is made up of MEPs from different parliamentary groups with the aim of supporting the expansion of the EU and establishing closer relations with the largest candidate country to the Western Balkans EU – Serbia. The Friends of Serbia group focuses on strengthening dialogue with government representatives, civil society, local authorities and the media, thereby monitoring and trying to accelerate the rapprochement of Serbia and other Balkan countries Western countries towards European integration.