Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the situation in Serbia regarding corruption, the rule of law, and restrictions on freedom of expression and the press; and whether they plan to review the United Kingdom’s support to Serbian state institutions, including through technical assistance, governance and justice sector cooperation, to ensure that all UK-funded programmes uphold democratic standards, transparency and accountability.

We remain concerned about shrinking civic space, pressures on independent media and slow progress on key reforms to strengthen rule of law and tackle corruption in Serbia. Recent steps such as progress on voter registration legislation are welcome, but need to be implemented. We continue to stress to Serbia's leadership the importance of respect for the rights to peaceful freedom of expression and assembly. UK-funded programmes, including technical assistance and governance cooperation, are designed and regularly assessed to support transparency, accountability, and good governance.