"Prague supports Belgrade's EU bid, will help with migrants"

"Prague supports Belgrade's EU bid, will help with migrants"

Addressing a joint press conference with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade on Tuesday, Sobotka "praised the results that Serbia achieved thiy year when it comes to opening the chapters" and pointed out that the Czech Republic supports the Serbian European integration.

"I want to give clear support to Serbia is opening the first chapters as soon as this year and I really think that Serbia deserves it," said Sobotka.

He pointed out that the Czech Republic has offered Serbia the technical and expert assistance when it comes to the chapter opening, recalling that his country "did that job a long time ago, but remembers it well as complicated."

"I think that expert help can be useful for Serbia," he said and added he was in Belgrade to continue the development of economic relations between the two countries.

The Czech prime minister added that he and Vucic spoke about migrants who pass through Serbia and that he offered "technical and financial assistance" to help Serbia cope with refugees.

Vucic said he was "convinced of the full support of the Czech Republic to open the first chapters in the negotiations on Serbia's EU membership before the end of this year" and thanked the Czech government for the EUR 360,000 assistance it set aside for the migrant issue and given directly to the Serbian government.

"They were looking for ways to avoid the government, searching for other organizations, but sent the help directly to the government and the Ministry of Interior, which needs it the most since they carry the largest burden in solving this issue," said Vucic.

He also stated that Serbia and the Czech Republic have "very good, truly friendly relations" and that Serbia "learns a lot" from that country. from the Czech Republic.

Vucic also spoke about trade exchange between Serbia and the Czech Republic to say it was "fair" and that the two countries would discuss concrete projects and creation of conditions for financing those projects in the future.

The very reason why around 30 Czech companies visited Serbia today is to help implement some of these ideas, Vucic told a joint news conference with Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka in Belgrade.

When it comes to actual projects, Vucic said that those primarily concerned infrastructure, the Dimitrovgrad-Nis railway, construction of a highway to Zrenjanin in its entire length, and also energy, adding that cooperation in that area had great realizable potential.

Vucic also said that one of the biggest Czech companies, Tatra, was interested in coming here and investing in Serbia.

The Serbian prime minister congratulated his Czech counterpart on the Czech Republic being one of the most successful EU states, with a growth of four percent in the first half of 2015.

"I expect that Serbia will be able to achieve this rate of growth in 2017 or 2018, after we stabilize our economy," Vucic said.