PM: Crisis to be overcome, but not at citizens' expense

BELGRADE Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said Monday that the purpose of economic measures is to find a way out of the crisis, but not at the citizens' expense. "Everyone can reduce salaries and pensions. Is there some new way that no one has thought of," asked Dacic at a joint news conference with Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski. PM: Crisis to be overcome, but not at citizens' expense He dismissed claims Serbia is facing bankruptcy, saying that if it did not go bankrupt in the past 20 years during much more difficult times, it will not go bankrupt now. Rejecting speculation that Monday's government session was canceled on account ot disagreement over economic measures, Dacic said the main reason was lack of time, adding that economic measures were not even on the agenda for today. He recalled that on Sunday he talked to Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, Minister of Finance and Economy Mladjan Dinkic, and National Bank of Serbia Governor Jorgovanka Tabakovic about the economic situation and ways of solving these problems which are not new. "On one hand, we have fiscal discipline, the need to achieve fiscal consolidation and reduce the deficit, but on the other, we need to enable economic growth," said Dacic, adding that there was no plan to make economic decisions at Sunday's meeting or to make them public at today's government session. The prime minister said talks on economic issues will continue with other representatives of the ruling coalition, the Fiscal Council, the Economic Recovery Council, the Social Economic Council, and others. "There are no dilemmas or arguments, the question is just which measures to implement," added Dacic, noting that the is "no consensus in the world, let alone in Serbia," about the best way to heal the economy. (Tanjug, file) Dacic expects start date Dacic expects start date for EU entry talks Serbia does not expect any conditional dates, but a concrete start date for EU entry talks, Ivica Dacic said on Monday. "We are of the opinion that a decision about the date should be delivered now, and that the talks should begin in several months," Dacic said at a press conference after the joint sitting of the governments of Serbia and Macedonia. Director of the Government EU Integration Office Milan Pajevic said earlier that the European Council will probably not determine the exact date on June 28, but rather give the European Commission the green light to take all necessary steps for the start of Serbia's talks with the Union. "When would Serbia be granted a date (for the start of accession talks), if it did not get it now after all that it has done in terms of stabilizing the circumstances in the region," Dacic wondered on that occasion. The prime minister underscored that Serbia did its part of the job, and not only signed the Brussels agreement, but also the implementation plan. He noted that regional countries also have similar problems on their paths to the EU, since there are now certain "specific conditions" that other countries in the previous period did not have, but they could not complain about the world order, but rather act in concert as they also have common interests. Tanjug

PM: Crisis to be overcome, but not at citizens' expense

He dismissed claims Serbia is facing bankruptcy, saying that if it did not go bankrupt in the past 20 years during much more difficult times, it will not go bankrupt now.

Rejecting speculation that Monday's government session was canceled on account ot disagreement over economic measures, Dačić said the main reason was lack of time, adding that economic measures were not even on the agenda for today.

He recalled that on Sunday he talked to Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, Minister of Finance and Economy Mlađan Dinkić, and National Bank of Serbia Governor Jorgovanka Tabaković about the economic situation and ways of solving these problems which are not new.

"On one hand, we have fiscal discipline, the need to achieve fiscal consolidation and reduce the deficit, but on the other, we need to enable economic growth," said Dačić, adding that there was no plan to make economic decisions at Sunday's meeting or to make them public at today's government session.

The prime minister said talks on economic issues will continue with other representatives of the ruling coalition, the Fiscal Council, the Economic Recovery Council, the Social Economic Council, and others.

"There are no dilemmas or arguments, the question is just which measures to implement," added Dačić, noting that the is "no consensus in the world, let alone in Serbia," about the best way to heal the economy.

Dačić expects start date

Dačić expects start date for EU entry talks

Serbia does not expect any conditional dates, but a concrete start date for EU entry talks, Ivica Dačić said on Monday.

"We are of the opinion that a decision about the date should be delivered now, and that the talks should begin in several months," Dačić said at a press conference after the joint sitting of the governments of Serbia and Macedonia.

Director of the Government EU Integration Office Milan Pajević said earlier that the European Council will probably not determine the exact date on June 28, but rather give the European Commission the green light to take all necessary steps for the start of Serbia's talks with the Union.

"When would Serbia be granted a date (for the start of accession talks), if it did not get it now after all that it has done in terms of stabilizing the circumstances in the region," Dačić wondered on that occasion.

The prime minister underscored that Serbia did its part of the job, and not only signed the Brussels agreement, but also the implementation plan.

He noted that regional countries also have similar problems on their paths to the EU, since there are now certain "specific conditions" that other countries in the previous period did not have, but they could not complain about the world order, but rather act in concert as they also have common interests.