Bratusek: I will support Serbia in Brussels

BELGRADE - Future Vice President of the European Commission (EC) Alenka Bratusek says that she will continue to support Serbia's European path and advocate for EU enlargement after taking the new office.

As the prime minister of Slovenia, I strongly supported the stand that the prospects of EU membership for countries in the region are of utmost importance, not only for the region, but for the EU itself. Slovenia, and I personally, clearly voiced the support to the opening of Serbia's EU accession talks, Slovenian former prime minister Bratusek told Belgrade-based daily Blic.

Bratusek stressed that she will not budge from her stand that countries of the Western Balkans belong in the EU, adding that she will continue to support their fast and efficient accession to the Union, which will remain open to the region.

Asked if Serbia is right to be concerned about the EU being tired of enlargement, which could be concluded from the initial and highly skeptical statements by EC President-elect Juncker and the new EU commissioner for enlargement Johannes Hahn, Bratusek replied that she does not believe that.

The expectations regarding the dynamics of EU enlargement are realistic, but that is not the indicator of enlargement fatigue, she said, pointing to the decisions made in the first half of 2014 regarding the start of Serbia's EU accession talks and granting the EU candidate status to Albania.

President-elect of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker nominated Alenka Bratusek as one of his key associates, and the European Parliament is expected to hold the final vote on the Commission before its official mandate starts in November.

Photo Tanjug, D. Peternek (archive)