Giaufret: It is time to intensify pace of reforms in Serbia

BELGRADE - The head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret said on Monday Serbia had confirmed that EU membership was its strategic goal, and noted that it was important to seize the moment and accelerate the pace of reforms and step up the joint work by the EU and Serbia.

At a press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, to whom he presented the European Commission's 2024 annual report on Serbia during a meeting earlier in the day, Giaufret said that, more than ever, EU membership was a strategic decision.

"The Commission has again indicated that the benchmarks to open Cluster 3 (on competitiveness and inclusive growth) have been met, and now it is up to EU member states to decide that the overall progress has been made to enable the opening of this cluster," he said.

"Progress on rule of law reforms and normalisation of relations with...