French PM to visit Serbia November 6 and 7

French PM to visit Serbia November 6 and 7

Valls will hold meetings with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić.

Valls will head a delegation of French businesspeople, including representatives of 35 enterprises and the economic sectors, who will participate in a business forum aimed at strengthening trade ties between Serbia and France.

The two sides will sign several bilateral agreements, particularly in the field of traffic and partnerships between the public and private sectors.

Valls will come to Serbia at Vučić invitation, "and this will be the first visit by a French prime minister to a democratic Serbia," said the statement, adding that it comes at the time when the country, "which is historically close to France," is implementing ambitious administrative reform and modernization, "while at the same time it is opening to normalization of relations with its neighbors."

Vučić and Valls and Belgrade Mayor Siniša Mali will visit Obrenovac, which was severely hit by the May floods, and tour the repair work that were helped by France.

Valls will also meet with members of the French community in Serbia, "who spontaneously decided to collect funds to support the population in the flood-hit areas."

One hundred years after the outbreak of World War I, Valls and Vučić will tour the Monument of Gratitude to France in Kalemegdan, symbolizing the wartime "brotherhood that strengthened the friendship between Serbia and France."

Valls will also meet with students of the Belgrade University "to express France's support to Serbia's European future," said the statement.