Dačić to regional summit: No love, only interest

BECICI Ivica Dacic says the Western Balkans countries should finally define their common interest, so their future cooperation would be based on that, and not love. The Serbian prime minister was addressing the 2013 Summit100 Business Leaders of Southeast Europe, held in Montenegro. Dacic to regional summit: No love, only interest "I do not believe in love between the nations of the former Yugoslavia, because if it had existed, we would not have gone to war against each other. I only believe in common interest. If we can find it, we will have a strong region," Dacic stated during the closing panel discussion of the two-day summit, where government officials from the region discussed the topic "Agreement for a New Age." The former Yugoslavia was a utopia, and so there should be no illusions today about a need to make a new Yugoslavia, but there is need to establish better bonds in order to fulfil the common interest, he said. He proposed that a joint body be formed, a Balkan council of a kind, which would be advisory in character and serve to better represent the common interest. "Our interest is for all of us to be positioned better, to have higher economic activity and to have an open market for the flow of merchandise, capital and people. We do not have that yet in this region," Dacic pointed out. It means Serbia cannot simply be a market for Slovenia and Croatia, but also a partner, meaning that their market has to open for Serbia as well, he explained. Medieval concepts must not be revived, meaning to divide the region and have Slovenia and Croatia in the EU while the remaining countries are kept outside, he stressed. The Western Balkans faces requirements that were not set for other countries on their way to the EU, but even with that fact in mind, no one in the region should feel inferior, Dacic remarked. "Not all principles are the same for everyone and we live in such an international system, but we can still seek our own path and trust ourselves more," the prime minister stated. The Western Balkans must not neglect other markets in its focus on the EU, and businessmen have to work together in order to have any chance on the markets outside the region, he noted. (Tanjug) Tanjug

Dačić to regional summit: No love, only interest

"I do not believe in love between the nations of the former Yugoslavia, because if it had existed, we would not have gone to war against each other. I only believe in common interest. If we can find it, we will have a strong region," Dačić stated during the closing panel discussion of the two-day summit, where government officials from the region discussed the topic "Agreement for a New Age."

The former Yugoslavia was a utopia, and so there should be no illusions today about a need to make a new Yugoslavia, but there is need to establish better bonds in order to fulfil the common interest, he said.

He proposed that a joint body be formed, a Balkan council of a kind, which would be advisory in character and serve to better represent the common interest.

"Our interest is for all of us to be positioned better, to have higher economic activity and to have an open market for the flow of merchandise, capital and people. We do not have that yet in this region," Dačić pointed out.

It means Serbia cannot simply be a market for Slovenia and Croatia, but also a partner, meaning that their market has to open for Serbia as well, he explained.

Medieval concepts must not be revived, meaning to divide the region and have Slovenia and Croatia in the EU while the remaining countries are kept outside, he stressed.

The Western Balkans faces requirements that were not set for other countries on their way to the EU, but even with that fact in mind, no one in the region should feel inferior, Dačić remarked.

"Not all principles are the same for everyone and we live in such an international system, but we can still seek our own path and trust ourselves more," the prime minister stated.

The Western Balkans must not neglect other markets in its focus on the EU, and businessmen have to work together in order to have any chance on the markets outside the region, he noted.