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During the debate in the European Parliament on Vladimir Bilčik's annual report on Serbia, European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic from Slovenia spoke about the gradual alignment of Serbia's foreign policy with that of the EU, including the introduction of sanctions against Russia, as was done by the EU and by other countries wishing to join the bloc, the HINA agency reported.

Lenarcic said it is important for Serbia to reduce its dependence on Russian gas, which the EU is helping to do, for example by financing an interconnector with the gas pipeline in Bulgaria.

The report, expected to be adopted today, reaffirms the EU's commitment to Serbia's membership and criticizes the country for limited media freedoms and attacks on political opponents.

The report called on the Serbian authorities to investigate the criminal group led by Velko Belivuk and to resolve the issue of illegal destruction of private property in Belgrade's Savamala district.

The lack of access to Yugoslav historical archives, especially those relating to the Yugoslav security service UDBA, has been criticized.

51 percent of Serbs are against the country's entry into the EU

MEPs in their discussion yesterday largely agreed that Serbia still has a lot to do on the road to EU membership, with an emphasis on consolidating democratic institutions and easing relations with Russia.

Some MEPs objected to what they saw as the condescending tone of the report, noting that it could alienate the country.

Bulgarian MEP Aleksandar Yordanov, a member of the EPP, spoke of the "Serbian world", a phrase often mentioned by Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin, likening it to the Kremlin's hegemonic policies.

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