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Serbia, Austria sign development cooperation agreement
Belgrade,
6 February 2009
Serbian Minister of Finance Diana Dragutinovic and Director General for Development Cooperation at the Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs Irene Freudenschuss-Reichel today signed an agreement on development cooperation between Serbia and Austria.
Irene Freudenschuss-Reichel, left, and Diana Dragutinovic
Addressing a press conference held after the signing of the agreement, Dragutinovic said that the agreement is very important because it removes obstacles presented by customs and taxation and establishes a legal framework for further cooperation between the two countries.
The Minister said that the agreement marks the beginning of a new era in the relations between Serbia and Austria, pointing to the fact that this could encourage other countries to sign similar agreements with Serbia.
She recalled that cooperation between Serbia and Austria up until now was based on a bilateral agreement, adding that since 2000 the total assistance provided to Serbia by Austria is nearly €40 million.
According to Dragutinovic, Austria helped Serbia with programmes for municipal development, integrated regional development of Vojvodina and southern Serbia and has assisted the Serbian national employment service.
Freudenschuss-Reichel said that Serbia and Austria have established a legal framework for advancing and facilitating development cooperation.
She said that the agreement will remove the problems related to customs and taxation, which existed up until now in the implementation of projects that did not have a legal framework.
She said that the agreement does not determine specific projects but certain modalities according to which they will be implemented.
She stressed that Austria will continue to support Serbia’s EU integration, because it is the right direction for Serbia to take.
The financial crisis is affecting the entire world and this shows that countries are interrelated, said Freudenschuss-Reichel, adding that the crisis will serve as an impetus for all countries to expand and advance mutual cooperation.
The Minister said that the agreement marks the beginning of a new era in the relations between Serbia and Austria, pointing to the fact that this could encourage other countries to sign similar agreements with Serbia.
She recalled that cooperation between Serbia and Austria up until now was based on a bilateral agreement, adding that since 2000 the total assistance provided to Serbia by Austria is nearly €40 million.
According to Dragutinovic, Austria helped Serbia with programmes for municipal development, integrated regional development of Vojvodina and southern Serbia and has assisted the Serbian national employment service.
Freudenschuss-Reichel said that Serbia and Austria have established a legal framework for advancing and facilitating development cooperation.
She said that the agreement will remove the problems related to customs and taxation, which existed up until now in the implementation of projects that did not have a legal framework.
She said that the agreement does not determine specific projects but certain modalities according to which they will be implemented.
She stressed that Austria will continue to support Serbia’s EU integration, because it is the right direction for Serbia to take.
The financial crisis is affecting the entire world and this shows that countries are interrelated, said Freudenschuss-Reichel, adding that the crisis will serve as an impetus for all countries to expand and advance mutual cooperation.
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