PM Dačić expects Lithuania to ratify SAA

VILNIUS Ivica Dacic said in Vilnius on Tuesday that the issues which prevent Lithuania from ratifying the SAA between Serbia and the EU " need to be overcome." After a meeting with Prime Minister of Lithuania Algirdas Butkevicius, the Serbian premier said that he expected Lithuania to ratify the SAA as soon as possible since it is the only EU members state that has not done that, adding that the issues, which had a negative impact on the two countries' relations, will be resolved. PM Dacic expects Lithuania to ratify SAA He pointed to the disputes about Lithuanian investments in Serbia, and the fact that Serbia and Lithuania were opponents in the race for the President of the UN General Assembly. “I think we should put all this behind us and overcome the issues. Serbia and Lithuania are friendly countries and they have no reason or cause for problems,” said Dacic. He said that Serbia will analyze and propose solutions to the problems of the Lithuanian investment in Serbia. The prime minister did not precise which investments are in question, but the Belgrade-based media reported earlier that one of the main reasons for which Lithuania is hindering the ratification is the cancellation of the privatization of Serbia's beer maker Beogradska Industrija Piva (BIP), which was earlier purchased by a Lithuanian company. Butkevicius said at a joint press conference that Lithuania supports Serbia's EU integration process, adding that it wants Serbia to be a stable and prosperous country. This path is not easy, but I hope it will be successful, he added. When asked whether he believes that Serbia has made the necessary progress so that the Lithuanian parliament could ratify the SAA, Butkevicius said that all Dacic's meetings in Vilnius are encouraging positive changes. He welcomed the steps Serbia has made on the EU pathway, and within the normalization of relations with Pristina. Two documents that Serbia and Lithuania signed on Tuesday - the Agreement on the two governments' cooperation in the fight against organized crime and the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of European integration of Serbia, are a good basis for the further development of relations, he said. The Serbian prime minister pointed out that the relations between the two countries can be better in many areas, particularly in economic cooperation. “I would be happy if Serbia, at the time of the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU in the second half of the year, made a decisive step towards the EU, Dacic said. He said that Serbia will support Lithuania as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the next term. Dacic used the occasion to invite Butkevicius and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Antanas Linkevicius to visit Serbia. Moreover, Dacic met with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, and during the day he is also scheduled to confer with Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Vidas Gedvilas and Lithuanian Minister of the Interior Dailis Alfonsas Barakauskas. (Beta, file) Tanjug

PM Dačić expects Lithuania to ratify SAA

He pointed to the disputes about Lithuanian investments in Serbia, and the fact that Serbia and Lithuania were opponents in the race for the President of the UN General Assembly.

“I think we should put all this behind us and overcome the issues. Serbia and Lithuania are friendly countries and they have no reason or cause for problems,” said Dačić.

He said that Serbia will analyze and propose solutions to the problems of the Lithuanian investment in Serbia.

The prime minister did not precise which investments are in question, but the Belgrade-based media reported earlier that one of the main reasons for which Lithuania is hindering the ratification is the cancellation of the privatization of Serbia's beer maker Beogradska Industrija Piva (BIP), which was earlier purchased by a Lithuanian company.

Butkevicius said at a joint press conference that Lithuania supports Serbia's EU integration process, adding that it wants Serbia to be a stable and prosperous country.

This path is not easy, but I hope it will be successful, he added. When asked whether he believes that Serbia has made the necessary progress so that the Lithuanian parliament could ratify the SAA, Butkevicius said that all Dačić's meetings in Vilnius are encouraging positive changes.

He welcomed the steps Serbia has made on the EU pathway, and within the normalization of relations with Priština.

Two documents that Serbia and Lithuania signed on Tuesday - the Agreement on the two governments' cooperation in the fight against organized crime and the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of European integration of Serbia, are a good basis for the further development of relations, he said.

The Serbian prime minister pointed out that the relations between the two countries can be better in many areas, particularly in economic cooperation.

“I would be happy if Serbia, at the time of the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU in the second half of the year, made a decisive step towards the EU, Dačić said.

He said that Serbia will support Lithuania as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the next term.

Dačić used the occasion to invite Butkevicius and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Antanas Linkevicius to visit Serbia.

Moreover, Dačić met with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, and during the day he is also scheduled to confer with Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Vidas Gedvilas and Lithuanian Minister of the Interior Dailis Alfonsas Barakauskas.