Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus, Minister of Finance Mladjan Dinkic, and European Commissioner for Financial Affairs Joaquin Almunia agreed today that cooperation between the countries in the region represents an important base for integration into European flows and that Serbia has a significant role in that process.
Stressing the importance of the positive feasibility study for further transition in Serbia, Labus said that the Serbian economy must not pass up this opportunity, adding that in this way domestic exporters have been granted big opportunities.
Representatives of the Serbian government reiterated that a cancellation of visa regimes would represent an important and clear message to all citizens that the country is on the road to the EU. They also expressed gratitude on the EU’s macro financial assistance, which has amounted to €475 million in the past five years.
Labus informed Almunia that Serbia is preparing for the launch of negotiations with the EU, which he said will help to build institutions to support exports to the EU, Serbia’s major trade partner.
He stressed that the continuation of reforms calls for additional funding and that opening up the pre-accession funds to Serbia would represent a strong incentive for the implementation of the reforms.
Almunia welcomed Serbia’s progress in the process of European integration and he pointed out that launching bilateral meetings with member countries as well as with the European Commission would speed up the implementation of European standards in Serbia.
According to him, Serbia’s future is in Europe but he warned that the pace of the country’s accession to the EU will be conditional on the efforts it puts into achieving that goal.