Prime minister meets with visiting Polish counterpart

BELGRADE Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated in Belgrade on Monday that Poland "will continue supporting Serbia's every step on its EU path." Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic at the same time expressed his gratitude to Poland for its support and added that he expects the decision of the EU Council concerning initiation of membership talks to be positive. Prime minister meets with visiting Polish counterpart Tusk underscored that this is the key moment for Serbia and Europe recognizes great efforts of the Serbian government the main aim of which is embodied in EU accession. Dacic and Tusk agreed that the two countries share friendly ties and that they would invest maximum efforts with a view to enhancing mainly their economic cooperation. "We conducted positive talks on Monday concerning many subjects, from the support to Serbia's European integration to economic cooperation," Dacic said and added that Serbia and Poland are friendly countries and nations and they will gladly improve their relations further. Tusk noted that Serbia's reputation in Europe is "at its best in the past several years" and that Poland "knows the price of unpopular decisions which would produce results in the future." He said that Poland's experience shows that such decisions do pay off and the Brussels agreement is a proof that the government implemented all necessary steps and the right strategy that would "pay off" in the future and bring benefits to everyone. "What Serbia has done comes as an encouragement for all supporters of EU enlargement and Poland will provide assistance to Serbia and back its every step," Tusk said and expressed the hope that Serbia and Poland will soon meet in the their joint European home. According to him, Poland successfully endured the several previous crisis years because it had the courage to make difficult decisions and was stronger as a member of the EU. According to Dacic, a meeting of the joint committee should be staged in autumn to discuss economic cooperation and efforts for increasing the scope of foreign exchange which currently totals EUR 550 million annually. Dacic expressed the satisfaction that he had a chance to meet the prime minister of a country that managed to overcome the economic crisis, and added that it is in Serbia's interest to maintain good relations with such an important country. He underscored that Polish soldiers and police officers would remain part of the KFOR contingent in Kosovo and Metohija which is very important for Serbs. "We want to maintain close ties with Poland and our relations go back to the period of the First Serbian Uprising which should serve as an encouragement for best possible ties," Dacic said. (Tanjug) Two agreements signed As part of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's visit to Serbia, two agreements were signed between the Polish and Serbian governments on Monday. After a meeting between Tusk and Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, Serbia's First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Polish Minister of National Defense Tomasz Siemoniak signed an agreement on defense cooperation at the Palace of Serbia. Before that, Vucic and Siemoniak had a bilateral meeting. A memorandum on cooperation in the field of EU integration between the two countries' foreign ministries was also signed by Ljubica Vasic, Serbia's assistant foreign minister, and Henryka Moscicka-Dendys, undersecretary of state at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Tanjug

Prime minister meets with visiting Polish counterpart

Tusk underscored that this is the key moment for Serbia and Europe recognizes great efforts of the Serbian government the main aim of which is embodied in EU accession.

Dačić and Tusk agreed that the two countries share friendly ties and that they would invest maximum efforts with a view to enhancing mainly their economic cooperation.

"We conducted positive talks on Monday concerning many subjects, from the support to Serbia's European integration to economic cooperation," Dačić said and added that Serbia and Poland are friendly countries and nations and they will gladly improve their relations further.

Tusk noted that Serbia's reputation in Europe is "at its best in the past several years" and that Poland "knows the price of unpopular decisions which would produce results in the future."

He said that Poland's experience shows that such decisions do pay off and the Brussels agreement is a proof that the government implemented all necessary steps and the right strategy that would "pay off" in the future and bring benefits to everyone.

"What Serbia has done comes as an encouragement for all supporters of EU enlargement and Poland will provide assistance to Serbia and back its every step," Tusk said and expressed the hope that Serbia and Poland will soon meet in the their joint European home.

According to him, Poland successfully endured the several previous crisis years because it had the courage to make difficult decisions and was stronger as a member of the EU.

According to Dačić, a meeting of the joint committee should be staged in autumn to discuss economic cooperation and efforts for increasing the scope of foreign exchange which currently totals EUR 550 million annually.

Dačić expressed the satisfaction that he had a chance to meet the prime minister of a country that managed to overcome the economic crisis, and added that it is in Serbia's interest to maintain good relations with such an important country.

He underscored that Polish soldiers and police officers would remain part of the KFOR contingent in Kosovo and Metohija which is very important for Serbs.

"We want to maintain close ties with Poland and our relations go back to the period of the First Serbian Uprising which should serve as an encouragement for best possible ties," Dačić said.

Two agreements signed

As part of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's visit to Serbia, two agreements were signed between the Polish and Serbian governments on Monday.

After a meeting between Tusk and Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić, Serbia's First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Aleksandar Vučić and Polish Minister of National Defense Tomasz Siemoniak signed an agreement on defense cooperation at the Palace of Serbia.

Before that, Vučić and Siemoniak had a bilateral meeting.

A memorandum on cooperation in the field of EU integration between the two countries' foreign ministries was also signed by Ljubica Vasić, Serbia's assistant foreign minister, and Henryka Moscicka-Dendys, undersecretary of state at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.