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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

EU open for accession of West Balkan countries

Belgrade, 28 July 2008

Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said today that the main message of the meeting of heads of states of the countries of southeast Europe held yesterday in Salzburg is that the EU is open to receive West Balkan states, including Serbia.

Author: Tanjug

Cvetkovic said in a statement to the Tanjug news agency that Austrian chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer, who was the host and moderator of the event, gave assurances that Austria will back Serbia in its efforts to join the EU.

He said that Austria has shown that it is a leader of countries that believe that liberalisation of the visa regime between the EU and Serbia is a precondition for the free movement of people and capital.

According to Cvetkovic, the Austrian Chancellor, who informally represented the EU at the meeting, stressed that integration of the West Balkans is in the EU’s strategic interest despite problems in adopting the Lisbon Agreement and difficulties in managing EU funds in Romania and Bulgaria.

Cvetkovic said that approval of Croatia’s membership should serve to remove doubts that the EU will stop giving membership to countries in the region, and shows that the West Balkans is still a region of major interest.

The Serbian Prime Minister said that he is satisfied that at the very beginning of his term in office he got the opportunity to examine issues of importance for the future of southeast Europe with his counterparts in the region.