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Djelic, Bildt agree on accelerating Serbia’s EU integration

Belgrade/Davos, 29 January 2009

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic and Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt agreed today it is important that steps should be taken during Sweden’s EU presidency to create conditions for the inclusion of Serbia on the Schengen “white list”.

Djelic, who is leading the Serbian delegation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, spoke with Bildt about ways to accelerate Serbia’s EU integration process during Sweden’s EU presidency in the second half of this year.

They reached an agreement that accelerating Serbia’s EU integration is a joint goal and more efforts are necessary at three levels.

In a statement to Tanjug news agency Djelic said that firstly the transitional trade agreement must be unblocked, secondly major steps should be taken during Sweden’s EU presidency towards the removal of visa restrictions for Serbian citizens and thirdly Serbia and the Western Balkans must participate in the measures announced by the EU for dealing with the global financial crisis.

He said that Serbia is hoping for funds for building infrastructure and energy.

He said that he talked today about this matter also with Vice-President of the European Commission Günter Verheugen and it is expected that in Davos the Serbian delegation will get in touch with people in the European Commission who are responsible for energy issues, said the Serbian Deputy Prime Minister.

Djelic held several meetings today in Davos with representatives of companies that have already invested in Serbia or are potential investors, among them President of Microsoft International Jean-Philippe Courtois.

Agreement was reached that by this summer Serbia and Microsoft will sign a new strategic agreement which will cover the areas of education, e-administration, legalization of software and most importantly the maintenance and development of the Microsoft Centre in Belgrade, said Djelic.

Djelic, who is also the Minister for Science and Technological Development, met today with the head of the most prestigious technical university in the world, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Susan Hockfield with whom it was agreed that MIT and the Ministry of Science will sign an agreement on cooperation which will enable a certain number of Serbia’s most talented students to study at MIT.

For the first time, at the invitation of the World Economic Forum, representatives of the Serbian economy, including Director General of Telekom Srbija Branko Radujko, Vice President of Delta Holding Milka Forcan and President of the Comtrade Group Veselin Jevrosimovic are part of the Serbian delegation.

The Serbian delegation will organise a forum on January 31 to present investment opportunities to foreign investors.

During the World Economic Forum the Serbian delegation will hold nearly 30 bilateral meetings with prominent figures in global economy, politics and the media.

More than 40 heads of states are taking part in the World Economic Forum 2009 in Davos, as well as 36 ministers of finance and governors of national banks, including the governors of all the G8 countries, except the US.