PM praises "close ties" after meeting with Italian president

ROME PM Ivica Dacic has met in Rome with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano to stress the close ties between the two countries that he said "had been confirmed". The meeting also confirmed Italy's support for Serbia's EU integration, he told reporters. PM praises "close ties" after meeting with Italian president Dacic also met President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Gianfranco Fini, Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi, and Dominique Mamberti, the Holy See's secretary for Relations with States. Italy has backed and will back the acceleration of EU integration. Italy is very pleased that Serbia has had a constructive approach when it comes to the dialogue with Pristina, and welcomes our decision to resume the dialogue, and resolve all outstanding issues in that way, Dacic said. "I think that this visit once again confirmed the close ties between Serbia and Italy," Dacic said. The main topic of the talks with the Italian officials was a strategic partnership, he added. He stressed that there is a great degree of understanding between Serbia and Italy. Italy was one of the big EU countries which had the greatest understanding for all difficulties facing Serbia over all these years, and was always against new conditions for Serbia, Dacic said. In that sense, we owe a debt of great gratitude to Italy, the prime minister said. According to Dacic, there are also very developed relations in economic terms, and Italy is Serbia's third largest foreign trade partner. The goal is to expand the scope of foreign policy cooperation even further, Dacic said, announcing that the next session of the Italian-Serbian Business Council will take place in Belgrade in February. The main idea is to make sure that during the next year, significant investments in Serbia are realized, the prime minister noted, once again stressing that has nothing to do with the moving of Italian factories from Italy to other countries. On the contrary, we want good relations with Italy, and we would not like Italian workers to think that we are taking away their jobs. We are talking about the creation of some new added values, Dacic said. On Monday, the Serbian prime minister also met representatives of the Italian business club. "The 15 most distinguished Italian businessmen were there.We agreed that I will receive them at the Serbian government building in Belgrade in February, and discuss the realization of concrete projects," he said. Dacic voiced expectation that the ratification of the energy agreement with Italy would be completed in the coming weeks. Dacic ended his visit to Rome with the talks with Napolitano. Apart from the meetings with Italy's top officials, the Serbian prime minister took part in the ministerial meeting of the 81st Interpol General Assembly. Ivica Dacic (R) is seen on Tuesday in Rome with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano (Beta/AP) Tanjug

PM praises "close ties" after meeting with Italian president

Dačić also met President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Gianfranco Fini, Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi, and Dominique Mamberti, the Holy See's secretary for Relations with States.

Italy has backed and will back the acceleration of EU integration. Italy is very pleased that Serbia has had a constructive approach when it comes to the dialogue with Priština, and welcomes our decision to resume the dialogue, and resolve all outstanding issues in that way, Dačić said.

"I think that this visit once again confirmed the close ties between Serbia and Italy," Dačić said.

The main topic of the talks with the Italian officials was a strategic partnership, he added.

He stressed that there is a great degree of understanding between Serbia and Italy.

Italy was one of the big EU countries which had the greatest understanding for all difficulties facing Serbia over all these years, and was always against new conditions for Serbia, Dačić said.

In that sense, we owe a debt of great gratitude to Italy, the prime minister said.

According to Dačić, there are also very developed relations in economic terms, and Italy is Serbia's third largest foreign trade partner.

The goal is to expand the scope of foreign policy cooperation even further, Dačić said, announcing that the next session of the Italian-Serbian Business Council will take place in Belgrade in February.

The main idea is to make sure that during the next year, significant investments in Serbia are realized, the prime minister noted, once again stressing that has nothing to do with the moving of Italian factories from Italy to other countries.

On the contrary, we want good relations with Italy, and we would not like Italian workers to think that we are taking away their jobs. We are talking about the creation of some new added values, Dačić said.

On Monday, the Serbian prime minister also met representatives of the Italian business club.

"The 15 most distinguished Italian businessmen were there.We agreed that I will receive them at the Serbian government building in Belgrade in February, and discuss the realization of concrete projects," he said.

Dačić voiced expectation that the ratification of the energy agreement with Italy would be completed in the coming weeks.

Dačić ended his visit to Rome with the talks with Napolitano.

Apart from the meetings with Italy's top officials, the Serbian prime minister took part in the ministerial meeting of the 81st Interpol General Assembly.