"Serbia's readiness to join EU stirs optimism"

"Serbia's readiness to join EU stirs optimism"

"That objective is neither simple, nor easy to achieve, and it requires resolve and willingness to face many problems," said Ružica Đinđić, the widow of the assassinated prime minister Zoran Đinđić, at the reception after a meeting between leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Aleksandar Vučić and former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Vučić and Schroeder, as an honorary member and honorary guest, attended the opening of the Serbia-Germany Forum Association in Belgrade.

Ružica Đinđić said that Germany with the spirit of its citizens, institutions and a powerful mechanism for democratic decision-making is a good example for Serbia, adding that for her today's opening of the Serbia-Germany Forum has a deeper, symbolic meaning.

"For 10 years now, thanks to the support of the German state and economy, the Zoran Đinđić Foundation has been building lasting relations between our two countries, based on mutual trust," she noted.

The Foundation has been striving for ten years now to put into action the ideas of Zoran Đinđić, who never had a dilemma about the importance of restoring and strengthening Serbia-Germany relations in all fields, she said.

"Traditional links between our cultures, economies and sciences are just some of the ties that bind us together, the most important one being mutual trust and sincere partner relations that confirm our friendship," she said.

The newly-established association will focus on the prospects for economic and political cooperation between the two states.

Schroeder is currently chairman of the board of Nord Stream AG, which is the owner of the Nord Stream submarine pipeline.