Austrian Chancellor is coming to Belgrade with a clear message

Austrian Chancellor is coming to Belgrade with a clear message

The purpose of his visit, as he announced, is to convey Austria's position that the EU will not be complete until the countries of the Western Balkans join it.

"We must not leave this important region for Europe, in our immediate neighborhood, to other actors, such as Russia, and we will not allow the destabilization of that region. It is important for me, especially now given the war in Ukraine, to visit the Western Balkans. We have the greatest interest in the stability of Serbia and its good economic development", Nechamer emphasized in a written statement for Tanjug on the eve of his visit to Serbia.

He reiterated that Austria is the most important trade partner of Serbia and that more than 400 Austrian companies have provided 22.000 jobs in our country.

"In Serbia, therefore, I will emphasize that the EU will be complete only when the countries of the Western Balkans join. Austria was and remain a strong advocate of the Western Balkans in the EU," Nechamer said.

Austrian Chancellor will meet in Belgrade with President Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister Ana Brnabić and Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church Porfirije.

After Belgrade, he will travel to Sarajevo.

In Bosnia-Herzegovina, he will meet on Friday with BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Zoran Tegeltija, the BiH Presidency, as well as with High Representative Christian Schmidt and the head of the EU Delegation to BiH, Johann Sattler.

In the afternoon, he will travel to Pristina, where he will talk with the President of the Interim Institutions of Pristina, Vjosa Osmani, and the Prime Minister, Albin Kurti.

He will also visit the Austrian KFOR contingent, which numbers 274 soldiers. As announced in Vienna, the main topics of discussion will be the European perspective, current issues, such as the war in Ukraine and the joint fight against illegal migration.

Nechamer has been the chancellor since the beginning of December last year, and this is his first visit to Serbia in his term of office. He previously stayed in Serbia, in the function of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Austria, and back then he especially praised the cooperation between the two countries.