President, FM receive U.S. official

President, FM receive U.S. official

Nikolić "underscored that Serbia is facing a milestone and that reforms need to be carried out and grey economy needs to be countered, the president's press service released. Serbia's market is favourable for investments, strong companies which will make use of our good cooperation with the western and eastern civilisation and companies that will employ the young."

The U.S. assistant secretary of state "stressed that now is the key moment for reforms in Serbia."

"The United States supports Serbia in its fight against corruption and the grey economy, as well as in the implementation of reforms that will create new jobs in Serbia. Ms. Nuland agreed with President Nikolić that the dialogue with Priština must be continued and that priority must be given to peace and security," the statement said.

Nikolić also thanked the U.S. president and the U.S. embassy in Belgrade for the assistance and support provided to Serbia during the May floods.

Reforms, dialogue

Victoria Nuland stated on Sunday that the U.S. very much supports the Serbian government's ambitious economic reform plans and the continuation of the Belgrade-Priština dialogue.

"The U.S. has a deep interest in full normalization of the Belgrade-Priština relations," Nuland said at a joint news conference following the talks with Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić.

She said that officials in Priština voiced assurances that they are truly committed to getting back to the dialogue process as soon as the new government has been formed.

Nuland said that the U.S. want to work with Serbia to see the reforms implemented because rule of law, justice, fighting corruption, opening up the economy are all essential for Serbia to fulfil its full potential.

The U.S. official said that her country and herself are impressed by the progress achieved over the past two years in Serbia - the elections, winning the EU candidate status and the fact that Serbia will take over the chair in OSCE next year.

"The U.S. wishes to deepen and expand the collaboration with Serbia in the area of regional security, Euro-Atlantic security and economic relations," Nuland said and added that a number of American investors are doing business in Serbia already but even more investors are interested in coming to Serbia.

Nuland said that her talks with Dačić covered stability in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the situation in Ukraine where Serbia will have a key role in establishment of stability once it assumes OSCE chairmanship.

At the press conference, Dačić backed further development and improvement of the relations between Serbia and the U.S. and recalled that the ties with Washington are one of the Serbian government's priorities in terms of foreign policy.

"It is in Serbia's best interest to find a common denominator with the United States foreign policy," he said.

He added that it is also important for Washington to find a common interest with the biggest country in the region if it wants peace and stability in the area.

"It is important to maintain relations marked by mutual trust and predictable policies, so that there would be no need to avoid difficult subjects, tell untruths and make false promises," Dačić said.

According to Dačić, Serbia is interested in being the factor of peace and stability in the region and a serious political factor when it assumes OSCE chairmanship in 2015.

He announced that the plan for Serbia's OSCE chairmanship will be presented next Tuesday in Vienna.

"Serbia sees this as a great challenge and a great risk, but also as a great opportunity. We will be on the side of OSCE and its fundamental principles,” said Dačić.

Speaking about the Ukrainian crisis, Nuland reiterated that the U.S. position on this matter is clear - "Russia needs to stop backing separatists, the separatists should sit down at the negotiating table, the cross-border inflow of weaponry must be stopped and the borders must be monitored by the OSCE observers."

Dačić said that Serbia supports the continuation of the dialogue in Ukraine and peaceful resolution of conflicts, adding that the matter of an OSCE observation mission that, in an agreement with Ukraine, would include Russian representatives, was discussed in Vienna.

He once again stressed that Serbia will continue its European path, the dialogue with Priština and the implementation of reforms, expressing hope that in an administrative sense the country will be ready to join the EU in five to six years.

Speaking about the economic relations with the U.S., Dačić said that the bilateral trade in 2013 exceeded USD 700 million, noting that it can be even higher. He emphasized that Serbia wants to create an environment that is favorable for foreign investment and a society founded on the rule of law, respect of fundamental rights and freedoms, and the fight against corruption and organized crime.