Serbian FM meets with German counterpart

Serbian FM meets with German counterpart

The main topics discussed during the talks between Dačić and Steinmeier covered bilateral relations, negotiating process on Serbia's EU membership, Serbia's presidency over OSCE and the conference on the Western Balkans which will be held in Berlin on August 28, at the initiative by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Addressing a joint news conference after the meeting with Dačić, Steinmeier commended Serbia on all that it has done in the development of good neighborly relations in the region.

According to him, Germany was closely monitoring the long path of transformation of the state and society which made room for improvement of relations with Western Balkan countries.

Speaking about the forthcoming conference in Berlin, Steinmeier said that this will be an opportunity for the countries in the region to present the results they have achieved so far and also to exchange opinions on the possibilities for future cooperation.

Dačić welcomed the initiative to stage the conference the success of which is guaranteed, as he said, by the fact that Germany has taken on the role of its very serious patron.

The region's European integration will be one of the topics tabled during the conference, he said and expressed gratitude to Berlin for the support it is providing to Serbia in the process.

Dačić said that Berlin can count on Belgrade as a partner in the Western Balkans and a factor in the search for solutions to problems.

He noted that the relations with Germany are vital for Serbia, and added that the country will remain committed to strenuous work aimed at establishment the best possible relations and closer cooperation.

Pointing to the importance of Germany as Serbia's main economic partner, Dačić stated that the political dialogue should be maintained at the adequate level, and he also backed elevation of the political dialogue to the next level, both on the federal and the provincial scale.

The two ministers agreed that the forthcoming OSCE presidency is an important task for Serbia, and Dačić said that Serbia will know how to use the opportunity and prove itself as a serious and reliable partner on the international political scene.

Addressing a news conference, Dačić said that Serbia was not using the current situation to take over business deals of EU companies in Russia, but that it "still is not in a position to introduce sanctions against Russia."

"We are aware of our obligations and wish to be a part of the European family. We will, as the process of integrations goes along, harmonize our foreign policy with the EU," he said, and stressed that Serbia's policy was not aimed against anyone.

"Serbia is not powerful or big enough to take over the deals of some big western company," he said.

Dačić reiterated that Serbia respects the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but that "under the current conditions" is in no position to sanction Russia, because, as he stressed, three quarters of its trade with Russia concern energy.

Noting that "Europe has not offered an alternative to the planned gas pipeline South Stream," and that Serbia's only route of supply goes via Ukraine, Dačić assessed that the country was "a hostage of the situation between Russia and Ukraine" when it comes to energy security, and is therefore in need of "alternative routes."