EP passes resolution on EU common foreign and security policy

STRASBOURG - The European Parliament passed on Wednesday a resolution on implementation of the EU common foreign and security policy.

The section on Serbia calls on Belgrade to align with the bloc's foreign policy.

The resolution was carried with 407 votes for, 92 against and 142 abstentions, with a large number of amendments rejected during the vote.

The resolution says the EP regrets a continuously low level of Serbia's alignment with the common foreign and security policy, reiterating that new negotiating chapters in Serbia's EU accession talks should be opened only after Belgrade strengthens its commitment to democratic and rule of law reforms and demonstrates it is fully aligned with the EU foreign policy.

The resolution, penned by Germany's David McAllister, who heads the EP committee on foreign affairs, says Serbia, as a country aspiring to European integration, must comply with the EU law and common values.

The document says its foundation is the tectonic geopolitical changes resulting from Russia's military aggression on Ukraine and other international challenges.

It also said candidate countries and potential candidate countries in the Western Balkans must fully align their policies with the EU common foreign and security policy, in particular, with the policy of sanctions on third countries.