First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic participated today in Sofia in the informal meeting of the EU Minister of Foreign Affairs and candidate countries, organized by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The meeting centered on the topics of security and defence. Foreign Ministers of EU Member States informed the candidate countries of the progress made in strengthening EU's security, particularly with regard to the recently established Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) of the European Union, and the relations with NATO. The meeting also featured an exchange of views on the contribution made by the candidate countries to the EU security.

The informal meetings of EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Member States and candidate countries are held twice a year, once during each Presidency.

On the margins of the informal meeting, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic had a bilateral meeting with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó.