PM: South’s development is our priority

NIŠ -- Serbia’s Prime Minister Ivica Dačić has said that economic recovery and development of the country’s south are the government's priorities.

Ivica Dačić (Tanjug, file)

He noted that poverty and migration from the southern part of the country could have disastrous effects on Serbia.

At a meeting between the government representatives and local officials and businessmen, Dačić pointed out that the south could only develop thanks to large strategic projects.

“If we do not change our behavior, Serbia will not only talk about problems in Kosovo or in the municipalities of Bujanovac, Preševo and Medveđa, we will have an empty territory and it would be disastrous for Serbia,” he explained.

According to him, there is no strong Serbia if “its most patriotic part, the south” is underdeveloped.

“While we are here talking about Serbia’s unity and patriotism, other parts of Serbia have provinces, regions, offices in Brussels, they are using money from European funds and the rich are becoming even richer while the poor are getting even poorer,” the prime minister said and warned that the five southern districts needed to define common interests and proposals and realize them with the government’s help.

Dačić stressed that the government must not allow the strategically most important part of the country to be “at the bottom of social and economic development”.

The meeting was also attended by Regional Development Minister Verica Kalanović, Agriculture Minister Goran Knežević, Education Minister Žarko Obradović, Finance and Economy Ministry’s State Secretary Dragijana Petrović-Radonjić and Coordination Body for Southern Serbia President Zoran Stanković.