Q:
A:
Serbia’s goal, EU candidacy by year’s end
Belgrade,
5 May 2008
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said today that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU will help improve Serbia’s agriculture and thus considerably increase exports.
Author:
Fonet
At a conference themed “How to Speed Up Serbia’s EU Integration” held at the Serbian parliament in Belgrade, Djelic stressed that the SAA is Serbia’s first contractual relation with the EU and noted that all countries who entered the process managed to complete it.
All of those countries are now either EU members or are negotiating with the EU, said Djelic and recalled that three-quarters of investments in Serbia came from EU countries and that out of €4.5 billion, €2 billion was sent directly from the EU. He added that loans totalling €1.3 billion were provided for the construction and reconstruction of roads and hospitals.
He emphasised that Serbia needs €2 billion to €3 billion every year in order to maintain the current level of salaries, pensions, social welfare contributions and infrastructure investments.
According to him, by signing the SAA, Serbia has been given a chance and a series of investments may take place once Italy’s Fiat comes to Serbia.
Djelic reiterated that the plan to open 200,000 new jobs is feasible as soon as Serbia starts negotiations to join the European family of nations.
According to latest surveys, over 70% of citizens support Serbia’s EU integration following the signing of the SAA.
Parliament Speaker Oliver Dulic said that the initiative for free visas for Serbian citizens was launched by France and supported by Germany.
Director of the government's EU Integration Office Tanja Miscevic will also address the participants of the meeting during the day.
All of those countries are now either EU members or are negotiating with the EU, said Djelic and recalled that three-quarters of investments in Serbia came from EU countries and that out of €4.5 billion, €2 billion was sent directly from the EU. He added that loans totalling €1.3 billion were provided for the construction and reconstruction of roads and hospitals.
He emphasised that Serbia needs €2 billion to €3 billion every year in order to maintain the current level of salaries, pensions, social welfare contributions and infrastructure investments.
According to him, by signing the SAA, Serbia has been given a chance and a series of investments may take place once Italy’s Fiat comes to Serbia.
Djelic reiterated that the plan to open 200,000 new jobs is feasible as soon as Serbia starts negotiations to join the European family of nations.
According to latest surveys, over 70% of citizens support Serbia’s EU integration following the signing of the SAA.
Parliament Speaker Oliver Dulic said that the initiative for free visas for Serbian citizens was launched by France and supported by Germany.
Director of the government's EU Integration Office Tanja Miscevic will also address the participants of the meeting during the day.
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