Austria "continues to support EU integration of Balkans"

Austria "continues to support EU integration of Balkans"

"It is my desire as Austrian foreign minister to visit all Western Balkan countries as soon as possible, as the region is a priority of our foreign policy," Kurz said.

My message is that the future of all Western Balkans is in Europe and Austria will fully support that, said the Austrian foreign minister.

Austria has great interest in seeing Serbia developing into a stable and, in the best possible sense of the word, European state, Kurz said.

To Austria, Serbia is a neighbor without a border between them "and a country whose bonds with Austria are very strong and go a long way back in history," said Kurz.

"We are closely connected in more than one way - through history, culture, and also Danube, which links us as both transportation waterway and natural space," Kurz said. The connection can be also seen in the fact that Austria is home to a great number of people of Serbian origin, which has resulted in many personal, economic and cultural ties, and Austria greatly appreciates that, he added.

Economy, of course, plays a very important role today, Kurz said. Austria is the biggest investor in Serbia, but Austria also holds a special place for the Serbs who live in Austria and who have made Vienna one of the biggest Serbian cities in the world, added the Austrian foreign minister.

Kurz will have separate meetings with Serbia's President Tomislav Nikolić, First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, and Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkić on Wednesday.

He will also attend the presentation of the Serbian Economic Senate, local office of the Austrian Economic Senate, which is chaired by the former vice-chancellor of Austria Erhard Busek.