21.01.2014. European officials extended congratulations to Serbia on Tuesday on the occasion of the first session of the intergovernmental conference with the EU, which marked the official start of the country's EU membership negotiations, stressing that this is an important day both for Serbia and the region. Following the meeting with the Serbian delegation which participated in the first Serbia-EU intergovernmental conference in Brussels, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy stated that a new chapter is opening in EU-Serbia relations and congratulated the country on the start of accession talks. Tuesday's start of Serbia's EU accession talks is the most important event for the country since World War II, Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic has said. "Historically, this will further determine our path," Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said on Tuesday at a press conference on the start of the Serbia-EU talks. First Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic said that for the citizens of Serbia today's opening of negotiations with the European Union brings a different future than the one they had a few months ago and said that our country has finally become a reliable partner not only the EU, but also for all of its members states. Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic said on Tuesday that the start of the EU accession talks is a great event, maybe even a historic one, for Serbia and the success of the country's foreign policy. “It is possible that we will be fully aware of this event only in the months to come, maybe even years,” Minister Ivan Mrkic said.