Brnabic meets with Varhelyi

BELGRADE - At a meeting with EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, Serbian PM Ana Brnabic said Serbia remained committed to reforms on the EU path as they were in the interest of its citizens.

Varhelyi expressed support for Serbia's EU integration process and said energy and migration were crucial topics for the two sides, the government press office said in a statement released after the meeting.

Brnabic thanked Varhelyi and EU Delegation to Serbia head Emanuele Giaufret for the support to Serbia in the EU integration process.

Brnabic said her government was focused on continuing rule of law and judicial reforms in keeping with constitutional amendments adopted in a January referendum.

She said that, in coordination with the Venice Commission, the government was working on a set of judicial laws aimed at making the judiciary more independent and more efficient.

She said the government would also focus on the passage of a set of media laws under preparation by the new Ministry of Information and Telecommunications and on continuing energy and environmental protection reforms.

Varhelyi said the European Commission had set aside 165 mln euros in support of Serbia's energy sector and would continue to back energy diversification in the Western Balkans.

He also noted that continued cooperation in the fight against illegal migration was important and that Serbia could count on EU support and assistance in that regard, and added that further alignment of the visa policy with the EU was significant as well.

Brnabic expressed dissatisfaction over Thursday's statement by EU spokesperson Peter Stano following the nomination of Nenad Rasic as minister of the provisional Pristina institutions, and said it was contrary to the Brussels Agreement and the electoral will of the people.