Civil service professionalization needed

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Justice and Public Administration Nikola Selakovic and French Ambassador to Serbia Francois-Xavier Deniau noted on Friday that Serbia needs the professionalization of civil servants who will then be capable of meeting the challenges of EU accession talks.

Selakovic underscored that France and Serbia have good cooperation which has also been proven by the memorandum on cooperation between the Serbian ministry and the French Foundation for Continental Law that has been signed recently.

The French Foundation is offering support to Serbia in creating necessary conditions for introducing the system of notaries public in September.

Selakovic said that the first trainings of future notaries public has begun, thanks to the assistance of the foundation and High Council of French Notariat, and noted that the Judicial Academy is also assisting the process, the Ministry of Justice announced.

The French ambassador said that, in the coming period, Serbia will have to focus on the implementation of the adopted strategies and laws, especially those relating to Chapters 23 (judiciary and fundamental rights) and 24 (justice, freedom and security).

Deniau underlined that Serbia needs strong human capacities that will be capable of taking on the challenges of EU entry talks.

The Serbian justice minister noted that amendments to the Law on Civil Servants are pending for adoption in the Serbian parliament, in which one of the most important novelties relates to continued professional training and sending young professionals to trainings abroad, which has not been possible up to this point.

Selakovic said that, in January, the Serbian government adopted a national strategy for the...