Belgrade "committed to regional cooperation" - PM

Belgrade "committed to regional cooperation" - PM

Brnabic said that cooperation, strengthening of relations with neighbors and continuation of reconciliation policy are important on the European path of the region.

"Continuation of reforms, cooperation and strengthening of trust in the region are our priorities in which we should all work together. These are not only steps towards full EU membership, but above all the path to reaching the highest European values and a better life for all citizens of the region," she said.

Speaking about economic cooperation, especially in the framework of CEFTA, which is being chaired by Serbia this year, the prime minister "mentioned a report by the World Bank, which assessed that Serbia has made significant progress in the public administration reform in 2016, which is a strong message that it is intensively working to reduce administrative barriers."

"It separated the digital economy and the IT sector as developmental areas in which Serbia sees its chance to gain access to the 4th industrial revolution and joins to economically developed countries. Our country has every chance to be a regional leader in accepting the changes digitization brings," Brnabic said.

According to the Serbian government, the participants of the meeting discussed the Transport Community of South-East Europe, "for which the agreement was signed at the Summit on the Western Balkans recently held in Trieste."

Brnabic stressed that Serbia has officially submitted its candidacy for the seat of the Secretariat of the Transport Community of Southeast Europe in Belgrade.

Belgrade is an important transportation hub and has excellent connections with the whole region, she said, adding that it is time to establish an agreement on the seat of the Secretariat, which would demonstrate the whole region's determination to develop through intensifying cooperation in all areas.

The meeting was also attended by European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn and Vice-President of the World Bank for Europe and Central Asia Kiril Miller as well as representatives of the Permanent Secretariat of the Western Balkans Chambers Investment Forum (WBCIF), the first joint institution in the region established by the chambers of commerce of these countries.