Serbia can gradually integrate into the EU, Đurić believes, with a focus on reforms and visible progress in the accession process.
Serbia should not wait for full EU membership to be included in its individual policies and mechanisms, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Đurić.
He assesses that in changed geopolitical circumstances, a more pragmatic approach to enlargement and a joint regional stance are needed.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke about the possible gradual inclusion of the region in the EU, the significance of Serbia's visible progress in the integration process, the need for a better understanding of reforms and the benefits they bring to citizens, as well as Serbia's place in a changed Europe and other topics, in an interview after participating in the BELTALKS: Belgrade Economic Talks conference, where EUmeter was presented - a new WMG Foundation platform for the systematic and transparent monitoring of Serbia's progress in the European Union accession process.
Can gradual integration bring Serbia into the EU?
At a time when Ukraine and Moldova are rapidly advancing toward EU membership, there is increasing talk about the possibility of the gradual integration of candidate countries into certain EU policies and markets prior to full membership. Serbia is inevitably mentioned in this context.
Đurić believes that the process should be viewed from a broader perspective, both from the angle of Brussels and member states, as well as from the angle of candidate countries, assessing that time does not work in favor of the region if it merely waits.
As an example of such an approach, he cites the initiative of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama for the region to be included in the Schengen Area and the EU single market, which he sees as a sincere initiative based on the idea that the countries of the region work together, as a team, in the interest of the entire continent, as well as in their own national interest.
He also pointed out that the focus should not be on the short-term and partial interests of individual countries, but rather on measures that would enable the creation of greater value for the entire region.
"This is the moment to focus precisely on that. We need to have a pragmatic approach. I am absolutely in favor of us being a full member, but if we are faced with a choice between waiting an indefinite period of time while states agree on the functioning of enlargement within the Union itself or starting to do something ourselves, at least to show that as a region we are capable of doing something, rather than just clashing," he said in conversation with our journalist.
He added that joint regional action could also be important in relations with EU institutions, particularly through joint lobbying for initiatives that would be difficult to reject with arguments.
"That joint lobbying for things that are difficult to reject, and it is difficult to argue against the initiative for the region to be admitted to the single market and Schengen, I think is a positive step forward," Đurić believes.
It’s important to understand the European integration process
For Serbia, as he points out, it would be especially significant for progress in the European integration process to be visible through concrete changes, rather than merely through the formal opening and closing of clusters.
He believes that Serbia has capable businesspeople, dignified citizens, and great resources, which is why it should be approached not only with respect but also with the enthusiasm that Serbia's membership can represent both for the country itself and for the European Union.
He notes that in Brussels and member states, he sees a large number of people who sincerely recognize the benefits to the common cause that Serbia's membership would bring. At the same time, he assesses that there are still political circles and parts of the public that continue to view Serbia and the region through the prism of the 1990s, burdened by local and regional prejudices.
Because of this, he says, Serbia must continue working to break them down, not only by extending a hand of cooperation but also by building a new type of relationship with regional countries that are already EU members, in order to calm parts of their public and win over skeptics.
"Is that pleasant and elegant? Probably not. Those who think and work differently get by much better, but I think that is true patriotism. Fighting to ensure Serbia is treated equally in the family of European nations, that the comparative advantage coming from the fact that Serbia has ties with countries worldwide is recognized as an added value for our entire continent. And that Serbia, as a country with eight neighbors on its borders, profiles itself as one of the entry points into Europe for major global actors," he added.
Can consolidating progress data contribute to more efficient work by state institutions?
A better understanding of the European integration process and the consolidation of reform data could contribute to more efficient work by state institutions, while also serving as an important technical tool for monitoring Serbia's progress.
The minister points out that there must be no compromise in the implementation of reforms, because they are in the interest of Serbia and the entire region. He believes it is necessary to modernize institutions and the system, while also making the country more economically attractive, in order to continue overcoming what represents the minimum formal criteria for membership, for the sake of its own development.
In this sense, he assesses that it is useful to consolidate all information on reforms and obligations that Serbia needs to fulfill in one place, but warns that membership should not be viewed as an algorithm or a checklist to be merely formally fulfilled.
"Europe is much more than that. It is a political community, values, national interests, and as someone who cares deeply about Serbian national interests, I want to be part of the team that will ensure that interest is taken into account. If that means in a technical sense that we have up-to-date monitoring of all reforms, that is an important technical issue and we should do it," Đurić said.
(EUpravo zato.rs)
