BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser said Monday that Serbian and EU officials have opened two new accession chapters, namely on company law and external relations, as a result of the seventh meeting at the ministerial level.
"We have been able to open two more chapters also with Serbia, namely Chapter Six, company law, and Chapter 30, external relations," Mikser said.
The Estonian foreign minister added that the sides were close to opening three more chapters, Chapter Nine on financial services, Chapter 13 on fisheries and Chapter 33 on financial and budgetary provisions.
Serbia and the European Union have so far opened 12 chapters out of 35, with talks on two chapters already provisionally closed.
The digestion of the Western Balkans has been an aspiration of the bloc ever since the breakup of Yugoslavia began.
EU and Montenegrin officials on Monday also held a meeting in order to open talks on two chapters related to labor regulation, as part of the EU Accession process, the Council of the European Union said in a press release.
"The tenth meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro at Ministerial level was held today in Brussels to open negotiations on Chapter 2 — Freedom of movement for workers, and Chapter 3 — Right of establishment and freedom to provide services," the press release said.
Montenegro and the European Union have so far opened for negotiations 30 chapters out of 35, with three of them already provisionally closed.
Official candidates for EU membership include Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro Serbia and Turkey. The accession talks have officially been opened with Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.
