Blanar Supports Serbia's EU Integration Efforts

Bratislava, April 16 (TASR) - Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) on Monday expressed his support for Serbia in its EU integration efforts, calling the normalisation of relations with Pristina crucial in this regard. Blanar on the same day received new Serbian Ambassador to Slovakia Aleksandar Nakic, with the two of them agreeing that good bilateral relations are the foundation for the further development and strengthening of cooperation between Serbia and Kosovo. "We support the continuation of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina under the leadership of EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak and the full implementation of all commitments based on agreements concluded so far," Blanar said, adding that the dialogue must result in a legally binding agreement that clearly defines the mutual relationship between the two parties. Blanar reiterated that Slovakia will continue to support the EU enlargement policy, praising the recent launch of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, in his opinion, constitutes a significant move for the Western Balkans. According to Blanar, Slovakia is ready to support Serbia not only politically, but also by sharing its own experience with the integration process. Blanar and Nakic also touched upon economic cooperation, with the minister praising the fact that that the ambassador identified the development of business ties as one of his main tasks. zel