Today, Justice Minister Nela Kuburović met with US Ambassador to Serbia Kyle Scott to discuss the assistance which the United States of America had been giving Serbia in advancing the work of the judiciary. Ambassador Scott welcomed today’s ratification of the USA-Serbia Extradition Agreement by the National Assembly, an agreement which the Justice Minister and he had been signed back in 2016 and which he believed to be important for strengthening the relations between the two countries.
The Justice Minister and the Ambassador concurred that the USA, through USAID and the US Embassy in Serbia, had been continuously assisting the promotion of the rule of law and anti-corruption efforts in Serbia. The Justice Minister gave the example of the USAID Rule of Law Project through which the USA had been providing significant assistance in strengthening the efficiency of the Serbian judiciary. She noted that the Project experts had produced the first working draft of the new National Strategy for Advancing the Judiciary in Serbia which provided a basis for the designated working group to continue working. She announced that the final draft of the Strategy would be completed soon, following which the community of experts and the civil sector would be invited to participate in the further drafting process.
In addition, the Justice Minister noted that the said USAID Project was also helping the Ministry of Justice in its efforts to amend the Security and Enforcement Act and to strengthen the capacity of the Public Attorney’s Office.
On the topic of fight against corruption, the Ambassador expressed his positive views about the results of the new anti-corruption centres (established on the basis of the Organisation and Competence of Government Authorities in Fighting Organised Crime, Terrorism and Corruption Act), noting that the USA was supporting the fight against corruption by means of organised professional training for judges and prosecutors.