Italian ambassador announces continued support

Italy’s new ambassador to Belgrade Armando Varricchio said that Italy will continue to support Serbia’s European integration. He added that he hopes that the process of abolishing visas for Serbian citizens will be sped up. Italian ambassador announces continued support Varricchio told B92 that he is convinced that Fiat will continue investing in the Kragujevac-based Zastava factory. He repeated the stance of his country that Serbia belong in the EU. He added that he hopes that there will be a decision for unfreezing the interim trade agreement soon and that Belgrade will shortly send in its candidacy for EU membership. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said earlier that a summit should be organized for the Balkan countries next year, to show support for their European path. “The idea of organizing a conference is that it is the right time —ten years after the Zagreb conference, with which the European integration process began for the Balkan countries —for European and American officials to gather again and to once again stress that the Balkan countries deserve attention and that we should work together to speed up their European integration process,” Varricchio said. ”The ten-year anniversary of the Zagreb conference will be next year, during the Spanish EU presidency, so Spain will be deciding whether or not that conference will be held. We support it very much and we think that Serbia could play a very important role in that conference,” he said. The new ambassador said that Italy and Serbia are very important economic partners, and he hopes that the cooperation will not be damaged by the economic crisis. “It is very significant that Fiat is stressing that Serbia is one of the most important strategic points of its development program, despite the crisis that has hit the automobile industry,” he said. “There will be new investments, there will be new technology which the work will bring and new jobs will be created for Serbia. That is why Serbia and the factory in Kragujevac are important for the company,” the ambassador said. Asked when there will be new investments, Varricchio said that it will be soon. “I would not want to speak in the name of Fiat, but I believe that they will do this in accordance with their business plan, and I know that they are sticking to the agreed plan and that it will be very soon,” he said. New Italian ambassador Armando Varricchio and Serbian President Boris Tadic (FoNet archive)

Italian ambassador announces continued support

Varricchio told B92 that he is convinced that Fiat will continue investing in the Kragujevac-based Zastava factory.

He repeated the stance of his country that Serbia belong in the EU. He added that he hopes that there will be a decision for unfreezing the interim trade agreement soon and that Belgrade will shortly send in its candidacy for EU membership.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said earlier that a summit should be organized for the Balkan countries next year, to show support for their European path.

“The idea of organizing a conference is that it is the right time —ten years after the Zagreb conference, with which the European integration process began for the Balkan countries —for European and American officials to gather again and to once again stress that the Balkan countries deserve attention and that we should work together to speed up their European integration process,” Varricchio said.

”The ten-year anniversary of the Zagreb conference will be next year, during the Spanish EU presidency, so Spain will be deciding whether or not that conference will be held. We support it very much and we think that Serbia could play a very important role in that conference,” he said.

The new ambassador said that Italy and Serbia are very important economic partners, and he hopes that the cooperation will not be damaged by the economic crisis.

“It is very significant that Fiat is stressing that Serbia is one of the most important strategic points of its development program, despite the crisis that has hit the automobile industry,” he said.

“There will be new investments, there will be new technology which the work will bring and new jobs will be created for Serbia. That is why Serbia and the factory in Kragujevac are important for the company,” the ambassador said.

Asked when there will be new investments, Varricchio said that it will be soon.

“I would not want to speak in the name of Fiat, but I believe that they will do this in accordance with their business plan, and I know that they are sticking to the agreed plan and that it will be very soon,” he said.