First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic visited Brussels today to bid farewell to High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton in Brussels.

The negotiating process featured as one of the central topics of the talks, as well as harmonization of policies between the Republic of Serbia and the European Union, and alignment with EU declarations. Minister Dacic particularly stressed the coming Serbian Chairmanship of the OSCE, i.e. Serbian agenda for the next year.

The Serbian Foreign Minister thanked Ms. Ashton for the cooperation and patience demonstrated throughout the dialogue on normalization of relations with Pristina. The Minister pointed out that Ms. Ashton had been the only honest broker in the Western Balkan crises.

The Minister also underscored that Catherine Ashton had significantly contributed to Serbia's 2014 launch of the negotiation process which precedes EU accession.

In his talks with the outgoing Head of EU diplomacy, Dacic emphasized Serbia's determination to stay the European course and its commitment to implement the obligations assumed by it in signing the Brussels Agreement.

Ashton gave Minister Dacic credit both for his statesman's courage shown throughout the dialogue and for Serbia's perseverence on its European path.