Members of the Committee on European Integration Ms Daliborka Pejović, Mr Mihailo Anđušić and Mr Nikola Rakočević took part in the XIII Conference of the Parliamentary Committees on European Integration/Affairs of the States Participating in the Stabilization and Association Process in South East Europe (COSAP), held in Skopje today.

The conference was opened by Mr Talat Xhaferi, President of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, who said that regional countries had strategically clear aim - the EU membership, adding that European vision would depend on the individual results achieved in the integration process.

MP Pejović addressed regional parliamentarians within the sessions “European perspective of the Western Balkans“ and “”Western Balkans ruled by the law”, by saying that Montenegro and Serbia were the most serious candidates in the integration process, and emphasising that Montenegro should set the objective in order to become an EU member before 2025. Also, Ms Pejović stressed the importance of strengthening the independence of judiciary, as well as efforts of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption in that regard, whose results had been recognised by the EC reports.

During the conference, the participants expressed their views about the EU-Western Balkans Strategy: A credible enlargement perspective for and enhanced EU engagement with the Western Balkans, and presented the situation in the area of rule of law, the strengthening of the independence of institutions and the fight against corruption and solving the migrant crisis. With regard to that, parliamentarians confirmed an unequivocal aspiration for comprehensive reforms, which made the countries of the region more closely linked on their common path to the EU.  The importance of continuous investment in the prosperity and stability of the Western Balkans was also stressed, which will contribute to greater stability in Europe. The rule of law was assessed as a major challenge for the Western Balkan countries in their further progress and rapprochement to the developed European democracies.

At the end of the meeting, regional delegations adopted a Joint Statement, which, among other things, highlighted the settlement of bilateral disputes as one of the priorities, and welcomed numerous EU initiatives aimed at bringing the Western Balkans closer to meeting European principles and standards.