Keepin touch

Whether you have a question, comment, suggestion or any problem in the purview of the government, send us your message and we will try to respond as soon as possible. If your problem is not in our purview, we will forward your message to the relevant institution.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Popovic presents result of economic team's work in Vienna

Belgrade/Vienna, 12 January 2007

Head of the economic team for Kosovo-Metohija and the South of Serbia Nenad Popovic presented today in Vienna the current economic situation in the southern province and provided an insight into the Strategy for Long-Term Economic Development of Serb communities in Kosovo.

Nenad Popovic and Miroslava Beham, Ambassador to OSCE in Vienna

Author: Tanjug

At a press conference held at the Serbian embassy in Vienna, Popovic stated that independent Kosovo would not be economically sustainable, adding that the province's economic development is very important both for the prosperity of its residents and the entire region.

He said that poverty leads to instability, therefore the strengthening of regional cooperation in the context of EU integration is necessary and economic improvement would help shift the focus from ethnic differences to living standard and personal development.

In a conversation with foreign press representatives Popovic recalled that unemployment rate in Kosovo is pretty high and it most affects women.

A precondition for economic development is the reduction of risks for investors, stressed Popovic adding that the international community made a grave mistake when it tried to sever the economic ties between Serbia and Kosovo which have always been of great importance in the past.

Head of the economic team recalled that the exchange between central Serbia and Kosovo currently stands at €150 million a year and that according to estimates, the entire trade volume, including the grey economy, is around €500 million.

Economic ties are strongest ties and today you can encounter Albanian businesspeople still doing business with Serbia. The ties between central Serbia and Kosovo should be significantly stronger, said Popovic and added that the economic team has sent this initiative to UNMIK. According to Popovic, the economy can remove all barriers and make people remain in Kosovo as well as to return those who left the province. For the population to stay in the province, new jobs need to be created, which is top priority of this document. The Serbian government is ready to invest €32.6 million in the province, Popovic said. He also stressed that Kosovo will not gain independence as it would mean a violation of UN Resolution 1244, Helsinki Charter and UN Charter as well as the Serbian Constitution. Even in the case international acts are violated, Serbia will nevertheless assist Kosovo economic development as the territory of Kosovo belongs to Serbia, Popovic said. Popovic will present the strategy of the economic team to ambassadors of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) today in Vienna and will also meet with representatives of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and the Austrian Agency for Development.