Joksimovic: Chapters 23, 24 to be opened this year

BELGRADE - Serbia will open Chapters 23 and 24, covering the rule of law, judiciary reform, fight against corruption, in 2015, Serbian Minister without portfolio in charge of European integration Jadranka Joksimovic said Friday.

"We expect the opening of Chapters 23 and 24, the most important political chapters that generally remain open until the end of the negotiation process," Joksimovic told Belgrade-based TV B92, adding that action plans for these two chapters have been sent to the European Commission for consideration and that the first comments are positive.

The minister said that she was "in a way disappointed" that no chapter in the EU accession talks was opened in 2014, noting that Serbia has done much and that she expected a positive signal.
"We did not open any chapter despite some announcements and despite our expectations which were based on the results we achieved and which the EC recognized," she said.

Commenting on Chapter 35, related to Kosovo, Joksimovic said that the European Commission still has not provided a clear and precise framework for the negotiations on this chapter.

Photo Tanjug, T. Valic