A seminar titled "Will the European Union expand further?" was held at the headquarters of the European Commission's Representation in Tallinn, on 15 May. The speakers included Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Sven Mikser and Deputy Head of the EEAS Division for the Western Balkans Clive Rumbold, as well as Serbian Ambassador Sasa Obradovic. The seminar was also attended by parliamentary representatives, Government officials, Director of the Division of South-Eastern Europe of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ingrid Kressel and representatives from a dozen EU Member States' embassies.

Ambassador Obradovic pointed out that Serbia's accession to the European Union was the Serbian Government's strategic goal, while providing statistical data showing the Serbs' commitment to the EU accession and implementation of European reforms, proving this premise. The Ambassador emphasized that, today, Serbia was the factor of stability in the Western Balkan region, and that the further improvement of relations with the neighbours and permanent regional reconciliation and peace were among the Serbian Government's priorities.

He also spoke about the developments in Kosovo, the importance of a continued dialogue in Brussels, and about the full implementation of the obligations assumed, including those related to the establishment of the Community of Serbian Municipalities, and the fate of Serbian monasteries protected by UNESCO as the world heritage in danger.

Moreover, the Ambassador spoke about the basic economic indicators, pointing to the initial steps towards the establishment of bilateral economic cooperation between Serbia and Estonia, underlining the importance that Serbia attached today to investments in the industrial sector and innovations.



The Ambassador put stress on the data concerning Serbia's participation in the EU- and UN-led crisis management operations, and on cooperation in the field of irregular migration. Finally, he underlined that the EU had weathered many storms over the course of its existence, but that the crises had not put an end to its enlargement policy, which was a real proof of both the strength and the success of European principles and achievements.

Estonia's Foreign Minister Sven Mikser said that the Western Balkans was an important part of Europe, in terms of geography, and that the WB countries would lack motivation for reforms if left without the prospect of full EU membership, and that therefore "the EU will always have to keep that window of opportunity".

Deputy Head of the EEAS Division for the Western Balkans Clive Rumbold spoke on a positive note about the enlargement issue, saying that the EU enlargement was in the common interest of all its Member States and Candidate Countries, and that this was a strategic European investment.