A ministerial-level meeting, which was due to be held in Brussels on March 22 as part of the political dialogue between the EU and Serbia, has been postponed at the request of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton.

According to diplomatic sources from the EU, the meeting was postponed due to Ashton's sudden obligations elsewhere. At the meeting, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic should have signed an agreement on Serbia's participation in the EU peace-keeping missions.

This is the second time the meeting is delayed, since it was originally scheduled for February.

The political dialogue was initiated on the grounds of the decisions reached at the EU-Western Balkans Thessaloniki Summit in June 2003, and the declaration regarding its commencement was adopted in September the same year.

These are regular bilateral political meetings at the ministerial level dedicated to Serbia's participation in the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of the European Union, whose goal is to speed up the country's EU integration.