Colgan: Ireland strongly supports Serbia on its European path, we will do everything to accelerate the process

Irish Ambassador to Serbia Kevin Colgan said that Ireland strongly supports Serbia on its path toward the European Union and that, during its six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union, it will seize every opportunity to move Serbia's accession process forward. Speaking about the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, he said Dublin considers dialogue the best tool for normalizing relations and strongly supports the work of EU Special Representative Peter Sorensen, RTV reported.

Colgan said he knows that Serbia's strategic goal is EU membership and noted that significant work has been done recently on a range of reforms, while the country has been implementing reforms for roughly the past decade.

"We hope, and we strongly support, Serbia in making progress on its accession path. All Western Balkan countries deserve to become part of the European Union. We know that the European Union has assessed Cluster 3 as ready to be opened. Ireland supports the European Union's assessment. Decisions on opening and closing clusters are made in the capitals of the 27 member states. Ireland will act as an honest broker, as a facilitator in the process, and we will use every opportunity that arises to move Serbia's accession process forward," Colgan told Tanjug.

Asked whether EU enlargement would be among Ireland's priorities during its presidency, he said it is one of the key priorities and expressed hope that progress would be made in the process.

"We know that there are several frontrunner countries. Progress in the enlargement process is one of our main priorities. EU membership brings enormous benefits. Ireland joined more than 50 years ago. At the time, we were one of the poorest countries, and today we are a successful, developed state. That is what we want for everyone. That is why we will work hard to accelerate the assessment process for all member states and all candidate countries," the ambassador said, RTV reported.

Asked whether Ireland's presidency could bring progress in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Colgan said Dublin sees dialogue as the best tool for normalizing relations and strongly supports the work of EU Special Representative for the dialogue Peter Sorensen.

"Of all the countries in the European Union, Ireland knows how important it is to maintain dialogue with close neighbors. We have a tragic, but more recently successful, history of overcoming such conflicts, so we hope people will be able to draw on Ireland's example of bringing countries closer together," the Irish ambassador said.

Speaking about the priorities of Ireland's six-month presidency, Colgan highlighted competitiveness, fundamental values, and security.

He explained that Europe must increase its competitiveness and compete for trade, jobs, and investment.

"So Ireland will ensure that businesses across Europe are able to grow, innovate, and create jobs for European citizens," Colgan said.

Regarding values, the ambassador emphasized that the European Union is founded on fundamental principles, which have made it the most successful peace project in history, and recalled that all EU member states have signed up to the same set of values concerning democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms.

"That will be at the heart of our work. Enlargement is part of our values-based agenda, and Ireland believes that EU enlargement is an important expression of those values," Colgan said.

As for the third priority, security, he said that the difficult times we live in, the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the global economy undergoing profound changes make Ireland determined to ensure that Europe is resilient, prepared, and capable of providing for its own security.

Asked about relations between Ireland and Serbia, he stressed that ties between the two countries are good but can always be improved, adding that they are linked by a shared history and Celtic heritage.

"There are many place names in Serbia that are very similar to place names in Ireland, so we feel like Celtic brothers and sisters. There is also a history of Irish soldiers fighting alongside Serbs on the Salonika Front during the First World War. There is a great deal of Irish traditional music, culture, and business cooperation, particularly in the fields of information and communication technologies. I am always surprised by how many Irish people are married to Serbian women or live here in Serbia and Belgrade. Every now and then, when I host a reception, they show up, so I am pleased with the state of relations between our two countries, although there is always room for improvement," he said.

He emphasized that Serbia is a wonderful country and that he enjoys living there.

"Serbs are great fun, open, and very straightforward. They will tell you exactly what they think, and I really appreciate that. The food and drinks are excellent. Belgrade is a fantastic city. There is so much history," he said.

As he noted, this is the eighth time Ireland has held the presidency of the Council of the European Union, but the first time while having an embassy in Belgrade, which was opened 10 months ago.

"We are truly looking forward to using this presidency to strengthen relations between Ireland and Belgrade," the Irish ambassador concluded.