New government already showing results, minister says

BELGRADE Serbian Trade Minister Rasim Ljajic has stated that the government has done many important things in the first three months of its work. He stressed that the public did not “cut the government any slack”. New government already showing results, minister says The minister said that the government’s goal needed to be strengthening of the economy and that its success would be measured by this criterion. “The current government took over the country in a very difficult situation so we did not have enough time to adjust and we immediately needed to achieve results in order to prevent even worse effects of the crisis. No country has emerged from the crisis by telling people what they want to hear. It is time for brave and decisive moves no matter how risky they are to ratings of the ruling parties,” Ljajic told daily Press. “We cannot emerge from the crisis if we do not take radical steps, primarily in the field of economic policy and I think that we should put the economy on the top of our list of priorities,” he noted. Commenting on Prime Minister Ivica Dacic’s meeting with Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci in Brussels, the trade minister said that the continuation of the talks was crucial, among other things, for getting of a date for the beginning of the EU accession negotiations. “Firstly, responsibility for the failure of the dialogue has so far always been shifted to Belgrade. We are taking the initiative with this move and our proposal to lift the dialogue to a higher, political level. Secondly, this is a way of getting a date for the start of the negotiations which is of crucial importance not only for our European integration but for our internal, structural reforms. Thirdly, we now need to define a clear platform for the continuation of the negotiations,” Ljajic was quoted as saying. When asked whether he would be a part of the state team for the negotiations with Pristina, he said: “It’s true. We have great interests here. Serbia has invested a lot there, we have a great property, our telecommunications operator has big property there. This will be one of the main three topics”. Rasim Ljajic (Tanjug, file) Press

New government already showing results, minister says

The minister said that the government’s goal needed to be strengthening of the economy and that its success would be measured by this criterion.

“The current government took over the country in a very difficult situation so we did not have enough time to adjust and we immediately needed to achieve results in order to prevent even worse effects of the crisis. No country has emerged from the crisis by telling people what they want to hear. It is time for brave and decisive moves no matter how risky they are to ratings of the ruling parties,” Ljajić told daily Press.

“We cannot emerge from the crisis if we do not take radical steps, primarily in the field of economic policy and I think that we should put the economy on the top of our list of priorities,” he noted.

Commenting on Prime Minister Ivica Dačić’s meeting with Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci in Brussels, the trade minister said that the continuation of the talks was crucial, among other things, for getting of a date for the beginning of the EU accession negotiations.

“Firstly, responsibility for the failure of the dialogue has so far always been shifted to Belgrade. We are taking the initiative with this move and our proposal to lift the dialogue to a higher, political level. Secondly, this is a way of getting a date for the start of the negotiations which is of crucial importance not only for our European integration but for our internal, structural reforms. Thirdly, we now need to define a clear platform for the continuation of the negotiations,” Ljajić was quoted as saying.

When asked whether he would be a part of the state team for the negotiations with Priština, he said:

“It’s true. We have great interests here. Serbia has invested a lot there, we have a great property, our telecommunications operator has big property there. This will be one of the main three topics”.