Serbia Assembles its EU Negotiation Team

Jadranka Joksimovic, Serbia's Minister responsible for European integration, said that Serbia had now formed its negotiation team with the EU, which will have 24 members from the state administration, the academic community and NGOs .

The team will help formulate Serbia's negotiating position and report back to the government on the process.

"Serbia as a candidate country sends a message to the EU that we have done everything that is our obligation as a candidate. We have completed a structure for negotiations and are ready to welcome the opening of the first chapter, I hope by the end of the year," Joksimovic said.

The European Council granted Serbia candidate country status for EU membership on March 1, 2012. On June 28, 2013, the EU opened official accession negotiations with Serbia.

The formation of a negotiation team has lasted since late 2013.

The team includes the State Secretaries of the Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs, the head of the Serbian Mission in Brussels, the Director of the EU Integration Office and a member of the government responsible for European integration, in this case, a cabinet minister without portfolio.

The rest of the team consists of experts from the state administration and ministries, the academic community and NGOs.

Joksimovic said that the complete line-up will be presented to the public in late August or early September, adding that Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic will also be involved.

Serbia will start its EU negotiations with the opening of two key chapters, Chapters 23 and 24, on the rule of law, security and human rights.

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