Regional PMs hold trilateral meeting

Regional PMs hold trilateral meeting

Dačić said at the meeting, held in the Bulgarian town of Ruse, that the idea of ​​a trilateral between Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria was good, and that "countries that have an opportunity to work together, should use it."

"Regardless of the fact our peoples and countries are friendly, we should try and find common interests, articulate them and together represent before other international fora. It's a good idea to have such an initiative as it in a way further institutionalizes and organizes, so we can act as strongly as possible toward the centers where decisions are made in Europe," said Dačić.

He thanked Romania and Bulgaria for their support to his government when it comes to EU integration, and added that he "hopes Serbia will be the next country to join the EU."

"For many years, our goal was to start negotiations for membership in the EU, and the government has achieved this historic result. It is up to us to finish the negotiation process as soon as possible," said Dačić.

He explained that "Serbia would like to get advice from its neighbors on how to avoid mistakes in the process of joining the European Union."

Dačić pointed out that Romania and Bulgaria "are important, not only political, but also economic partners," recalling that trade between Serbia and these countries totaled more than EUR 1.5 billion per year.

"Certainly there are many joint projects to look for with respect to investors from all over the world. There's plenty of room for joint activities," Dačić said.

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta congratulated the Serbian government, which started the negotiation process with the European Union and reiterated the support of Romania and Bulgaria.

"We congratulate the Serbian government on the big step of starting negotiations with the EU... We gave Serbia guarantees that it is in the interest of Bulgaria and Romania for Serbia to become an EU member as soon as possible. We will provide all necessary support, share our experience," he said, according to the Romanian agency Agerpres.

Today's meeting was also "an opportunity to consider the current situation in Ukraine," said reports.

According to Ponta, that country needs "stability, democracy and respect of international law."

"Three countries in the region can provide proof of friendship, cooperation, partnership and stability, which is what Eastern Europe needs at the moment," he stated, and added that Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania have sent "a very positive message throughout the region."