Today, Justice Minister Nela Kuburović received the new Spanish Ambassador to Serbia, Raúl Bartolomé Molina, with whom she discussed the two countries’ cooperation in judicial matters and Serbia’s accession to the European Union (EU).
Minister Kuburović and Ambassador Bartolomé Molina said that the relations between their countries were at a high level and friendly, noting that cooperation in judicial matters – although solid – needed to be advanced and expanded.
Minister Kuburović stated that the two countries’ Ministries of Justice were in discussions about drafting a bilateral agreement which would regulate the division of property resulting from criminal offences. The Spanish Ambassador found that Serbia had been making great efforts to align its legislation with the EU standards in order to strengthen judicial independence. However, he believed that a great deal of further progress still awaited Serbia on its path to becoming an EU member, particularly in the field of rule of law and Chapter 23.
The Ambassador stressed that Spain was the biggest advocate of EU enlargement within the European Union and of opening new chapters. In that sense - he explained -, Spain was supporting Serbia on its path to joining the EU and it joining the EU family as quickly as possible.
Minister Kuburović thanked the Ambassador and Spain for their principled stand on safeguarding Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as their support to Serbia in joining the EU.