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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Internal reforms to be implemented parallel with EU enlargement

Belgrade/Santander, 28 August 2019

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic held today a lecture themed "Enlargement in a New Europe" in Santander, Spain, and said that the best policy for a new Europe is to carry out internal reforms parallel with enlargement.

Brnabic spoke at the conference “Quo Vadis Europe? The European Union before the new political cycle ”, held at Menéndez Pelayo International University in Santander, and she was welcomed by Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, who underlined that her participation is a great honour.

Brnabic said that enlargement is very important for Serbia and the region she comes from, adding that European integration and membership are a strategic goal of our country and the countries of the region.

The Union faces many challenges, and we from the Western Balkans believe in the European idea, perhaps more than many European countries at the moment, we bring some new perspective but also a reminder of why the EU is important and what its benefits are, she said.

The EU is the only chance for European countries to compete effectively with the world. The world also needs the EU, and the EU should play an active role in solving world issues and be a factor of stability, Brnabic said.

She also stressed that non-EU countries would not be able to cope with the challenges without the Union, and stated that she wanted to be the prime minister of a country whose citizens would look forward to becoming a member of the club where they rightfully belong and whose values they share, and not "because they are given the opportunity to leave the country."

We are surrounded by EU countries in the Balkans, so it can be said that it is not about enlargement, but about inclusion, Brnabic said.

The Prime Minister of Serbia underlined that enlargement is also crucial for reforms in the region, and stressed that the EU must remain committed to the inclusion of the region because otherwise the impetus for reforms in those countries would disappear.

She also said that a stronger and reformed Europe is not contrary to Serbia's wishes, because, as she added, while there is Europe, there will be a sustainable peace.

The students asked the Prime Minister of Serbia a number of questions concerning European integration, Russia, NATO, climate change, and the lecture hall was packed with audience.

In her answers, Brnabic said that regional stability is a key priority for Serbia and that it invests a lot in this and in the regional connecting.

Serbia and Russia have good relations, they have many ties, and our country needs to take advantage of all opportunities, such as the Free Trade Agreement, the Prime Minister said and explained that Serbia's representatives do not speak differently in Moscow and in Brussels.

We want to become a member of he EU, that is our goal, but also to maintain good relations with Moscow. I do not think this is a problem for either Moscow or Brussels, she said.

Speaking about Kosovo-Metohija, she reiterated that a compromise is necessary, but not such a compromise in which one side will win everything and the other lose everything.