President receives ambassadors in farewell visits

BELGRADE President Tomislav Nikolic has received EU Delegation head Vincent Degert and British Ambassador Michael Davenport in farewell visits. Davenport will take over the EU role from Degert. President receives ambassadors in farewell visits Nikolic also received the farewell visits of Croatian Ambassador Zeljko Kupresak and Denmark's Ambassador Mette Kjuel Nielsen, the president's press service said. Nikolic stated that Serbia achieved a lot in the previous period and that the government's most important task now is to ensure better living standards for its citizens. "The government needs to ensure jobs and stability for the citizens," the Serbian president said. Degert said that it is now clear that democracy in Serbia has matured by now and that Nikolic's decision to represent Serbia as the president of all citizens sent an exceptionally strong message to Europe. He expressed the wish for the EU to give a clear sign to Serbia that it is willing to help it on the EU path now that Serbia has unequivocally demonstrated that it is willing to launch EU accession talks. Davenport underscored that the confidence of Brussels and London in Serbia has increased as a result of the progress it achieved in the past year. He welcomed Serbia's efforts to set up a team of experts for accession talks with the EU, regardless of their political affiliation, who would work to the best interests of the country and will not have to answer to their political parties for their actions. Kupresak backed the continuation of improvement of relations between Serbia and Croatia, and underscored that it is particularly important that tangible moves are being made, such as the issue of pensions of Serbs refugees who fled Croatia during the war. Denmark's Ambassador Mette Kjuel Nielsen welcomed Serbia's efforts aimed at setting up lasting stability in the region and achieving progress which has been made on the issue so far. She underscored that "everything the new administration did in Serbia over the past year has erased the mistrust which had prevailed in certain circles in the world until now." Vincent Degert. Tomislav Nikolic (Tanjug) Tanjug

President receives ambassadors in farewell visits

Nikolić also received the farewell visits of Croatian Ambassador Željko Kuprešak and Denmark's Ambassador Mette Kjuel Nielsen, the president's press service said.

Nikolić stated that Serbia achieved a lot in the previous period and that the government's most important task now is to ensure better living standards for its citizens.

"The government needs to ensure jobs and stability for the citizens," the Serbian president said.

Degert said that it is now clear that democracy in Serbia has matured by now and that Nikolić's decision to represent Serbia as the president of all citizens sent an exceptionally strong message to Europe.

He expressed the wish for the EU to give a clear sign to Serbia that it is willing to help it on the EU path now that Serbia has unequivocally demonstrated that it is willing to launch EU accession talks.

Davenport underscored that the confidence of Brussels and London in Serbia has increased as a result of the progress it achieved in the past year.

He welcomed Serbia's efforts to set up a team of experts for accession talks with the EU, regardless of their political affiliation, who would work to the best interests of the country and will not have to answer to their political parties for their actions.

Kupresak backed the continuation of improvement of relations between Serbia and Croatia, and underscored that it is particularly important that tangible moves are being made, such as the issue of pensions of Serbs refugees who fled Croatia during the war.

Denmark's Ambassador Mette Kjuel Nielsen welcomed Serbia's efforts aimed at setting up lasting stability in the region and achieving progress which has been made on the issue so far.

She underscored that "everything the new administration did in Serbia over the past year has erased the mistrust which had prevailed in certain circles in the world until now."