Non-EU member Norway "backs EU enlargement"

Norwegian Parliament Speaker Thorbjoern Jagland said in Belgrade that his country backs the enlargement of the EU. Jagland also noted during his visit here on Friday that Norway is not an EU member, but that it position comes because it holds that enlargement can "specially benefit small countries such as Serbia". Non-EU member Norway "backs EU enlargement" Norway itself can also benefit form the enlargement of the EU, because through economic cooperation with its member states it can access the same market, and that this cooperation transfers to the political level as well, Jagland said at a joint news conference with Serbian Parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic. Jagland said that Serbia and Norway have already established good cooperation in the fields of defense, police and telecommunications and added that Norway recognized a great potential in Serbia and that it wants to invest in the country and in the strengthening of the overall economic cooperation between the two countries. Djukic-Dejanovic told reporters that she and Jagland agreed that belgrade has a "solid position" in the field of foreign policy, considering the country's resolve to join the EU as soon as possible, but also to maintain good relations with other countries, above all, with Russia. She pointed out that her counterpart from Oslo conveyed readiness of the Norwegian parliament to help in the strengthening of the supervisory role of the Serbian parliament, as one of powerful ways for fighting corruption and crime through the appointment of auditors. "Norwegian commitment to the United Nations and parliamentarianism can provide a good model for Serbia that it can also be more active in those areas," said Djukic-Dejanovic. The two officials agreed that the inter-parliamentary cooperation is the area through which "traditionally good relations between the two countries can be further enhanced".

Non-EU member Norway "backs EU enlargement"

Norway itself can also benefit form the enlargement of the EU, because through economic cooperation with its member states it can access the same market, and that this cooperation transfers to the political level as well, Jagland said at a joint news conference with Serbian Parliament Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović.

Jagland said that Serbia and Norway have already established good cooperation in the fields of defense, police and telecommunications and added that Norway recognized a great potential in Serbia and that it wants to invest in the country and in the strengthening of the overall economic cooperation between the two countries.

Đukić-Dejanović told reporters that she and Jagland agreed that belgrade has a "solid position" in the field of foreign policy, considering the country's resolve to join the EU as soon as possible, but also to maintain good relations with other countries, above all, with Russia.

She pointed out that her counterpart from Oslo conveyed readiness of the Norwegian parliament to help in the strengthening of the supervisory role of the Serbian parliament, as one of powerful ways for fighting corruption and crime through the appointment of auditors.

"Norwegian commitment to the United Nations and parliamentarianism can provide a good model for Serbia that it can also be more active in those areas," said Đukić-Dejanović.

The two officials agreed that the inter-parliamentary cooperation is the area through which "traditionally good relations between the two countries can be further enhanced".