Donor conference to be held on July 16 or 17

Donor conference to be held on July 16 or 17

After the signing of the document in Belgrade on Tuesday, Vučić said that it provided a legal basis for disaster management activities.

Vučić thanked Bratušek for the great support and aid that Slovenia had given Serbia during the massive flooding that had hit the country in May.

Slovenia was one of the first countries to send aid, partly at the personal initiative of the Slovenian prime minister, he said.

Serbia has an excellent relationship with Slovenia and the minor problems between the two countries were being dealt with on the fly and always successfully, said Vučić.

Slovenia is supporting Serbia on its European path, the Serbian prime minister said.

“We expect further support because an even more difficult period is ahead,” said Vučić.

Speaking about the planned donor conference for the countries of the region affected by the floods, Vučić said that it could be held on July 16 or 17 but findings on the extent of damages should be collected first.

“We have huge damages here. Rebuilding the washed-away defense walls is a key priority,” he said.

The floods alone had caused damages that exceeded EUR 20 million, Vučić said, stressing that the defense walls needed to be rebuilt so rains could not cause flooding again.

Bratušek pointed out that it was Slovenia’s duty to help in times of need, adding that Ljubljana would like to see the donor conference held at the earliest opportunity.

She said that the flooding impact evaluation should be made as soon as possible, so that the victims of the floods could return to their homes as quickly as possible.

"When it comes to relations between the two countries, they have always been very good, not only in the economy but also in other areas, and opportunities to further strengthen them are there to be used," said Bratušek.

Slovenia has supported and will keep supporting Serbia’s EU membership bid, she said.

Speaking about the South Stream pipeline project, Vučić said that Serbia was committed to the project, but it did not depend on Serbia.

He said that the upcoming talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Austrian President Heinz Fischer and Chancellor Werner Faymann on the issue would prove vital.

Bratušek said that South Stream was an important project for Slovenia and the country was ready for that investment.

The Slovenian prime minister voiced confidence that the South Stream project would be carried through.