Brnabic: I will meet with Picula, his assessment of Serbia's progress is a disgrace

BELGRADE - Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic confirmed on Sunday evening she would meet with the European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia Tonino Picula in Belgrade even though his assessment of Serbia's progress on the EU path was a "disgrace."

"Will that be the most beautiful thing in my life? It will not. Would I, as Ana Brnabic, like to speak with Tonino Picula? Never. But as speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, I have to speak with EP rapporteurs," Brnabic told Euronews Serbia.

She noted that Picula's assessment that Serbia had made limited or no progress overall was a "disgrace."

"A big disgrace. A disgrace to him. We will see how the EP will react. If it adopts such things, factually incorrect things stated in that resolution, then it will, to an extent, be a disgrace to the EP as well," Brnabic said.

The EP announced earlier Picula would be visiting Belgrade from February 23 through 26 on a fact-finding mission.

He is due to meet with Serbia's political leadership, government members and opposition representatives, as well as with representatives of the media, civil society and the business sector, an EP statement said.