Serbian Parliament Speaker Vladimir Orlic told Council of Europe (CoE) rapporteur Axel Schafer that Serbia had achieved progress in a number of areas, especially democratic standards and rule of law, a press release said on Monday.

It said that Orlic informed Schafer (co-rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of obligations and commitments by Serbia) “of the overall progress the country achieved in a number of areas … especially in the field of democratic standards, rule of law, human and minority rights”. The press release added that he recalled the reform of the judiciary.

Opposition MPs told Schafer that the opposition and authorities are not equally represented in the media and that the rule of law is not at the desired level.

Orlic said that progress has also been achieved in protecting journalists, the work of parliament and meeting the recommendations of ODIHR and proposals from political parties through the inter-party dialogue. “All these are areas in which we achieved progress, allowed more freedm and democracy than ever before,” the press release quoted Orlic as saying.

The press release did not quote Schafer who is scheduled to meet with several cabinet ministers, the Ombudsperson, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, representatives of the judicary and civil society.