PACE President: Serbia Has Key Role in Overcoming Problems in Region

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) President Pedro Agramunt said in Belgrade on Oct. 4 that Serbia had a key contribution to overcoming instability and problems in the region of the Western Balkans.

During a talk with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic he voiced his satisfaction over the excellent cooperation with the Standing Delegation of the Serbian Parliament and its contribution to the goals and operation of PACE. "Agramunt stressed that Serbia was a strong partner and key nation in the Western Balkans, whose contribution to overcoming instability and problems in the region is key," the president of PACE said, according to a government statement.

Vucic said that Serbia would continue to be "a proponent of reconciliation and cooperation in the region," because without political stability there could be no economic progress.

The statement said that Vucic had acquainted Agramunt with the results of economic reform and said that Serbia would in the future use PACE's expertise more, especially in the area of rule of law and the fight against corruption "which will contribute to the country's progress en route to the EU."

Vucic thanked the Council of Europe and PACE for respecting Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty and said that he hoped that a status neutral policy would continue in relation to Kosovo.

Vucic and Agramunt also discussed the question of the refugee and migrant crisis, rising nationalism and extremism in Europe as well as the fight against terrorism.