Serbian officials meet with Swedish foreign minister

BELGRADE Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has said that the EU entry talks "are a process which opens up considerable opportunities for Serbia." Speaking in Belgrade late on Monday, he added that "it does not mean that problems will be solved by themselves." Serbian officials meet with Swedish foreign minister Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said after their meeting that the country was "ready to get down to work." At a joint press conference with Dacic, Bildt said he was "impressed by the spirit of openness among representatives from the region at yesterday's celebrations of Croatia's EU entry and that the authorities should proceed in that direction, and in that context placed a special emphasis on the relations between Belgrade and Pristina." "I congratulate Serbia on the fact that the EU confirmed the opening of EU accession negotiations. That is a road that leads Serbia into a new phase, the phase of reforms and integration," Bildt said. The Serbian prime minister said that when it comes to EU membership negotiations, "Serbia is ready to work hard, adding that the opening of talks does not mean that Serbia has time to relax, quite the contrary." “It is vital for us to open and complete the accession talks as soon as possible,” Dacic said. The Serbian prime minister said that Sweden has always offered firm support to Serbia on its road toward the EU, including the granting of a start date for EU entry talks. Dacic noted, however, that after the opening of talks, there would be "no improvement in the standard of living over night." “I know that many will now expect to see an overnight improvement in the standard of living as of today or as of January, but you know that President Tomislav Nikolic, First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic or I have never told citizens unrealistic stories or lied to them. Here, we are not talking about the day when that could happen, but about the process and path along which we should proceed for that to happen,” the prime minister said. Bildt noted that Serbia was "a potentially rich country," adding that "turbulent periods burdened the society and economy, but that new opportunities are now opening up." "Serbia is at the centre of the region in geographical terms, and depends on the quality of these relations," Bildt said. Dacic said that he informed Bildt about the situation in Serbia, reforms and dialogue with Pristina, and made it clear that "Serbia is ready to get down to work." "Serbia is not asking for any privilege, or some special status when it comes to the decision-making process in the EU institutions," according to him. “We have deserved each and every decision, including this one on the opening of talks. In the same way, we should deserve and not get as a gift a year when we would join the EU,” the prime minister said. According to Dacic, that means that European values, laws, organization of society and rule of law “live here in Serbia too.” "In any case, Serbia will have political, economic and other benefits for being on the path toward the EU," he added. "The Serbian people and the state of Serbia deserve to be a part of the European family of peoples," Dacic emphasized. Bildt and Dacic said that bilateral relations are at a high level, but there is still room for improvement. According to Dacic, one could expect in the coming period the realization of projects that IKEA planned in Serbia. "It is time the Swedish prime minister visited Belgrade, given that the last visit of a Swedish prime minister took place in 1975," Dacic said. "It is the Serbian government's task to renew old friendships, and work on strengthening the existing ones, and building trust in Serbia as a reliable partner in the EU," the prime minister said. (Tanjug) "Economy and development in focus" Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic and his Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt agreed on Monday that after the decision to open Serbia's EU accession talks, all attention should focus on economic development. At a joint news conference with Bildt, Mrkic said that new investments were discussed during the meeting. Although Serbia is yet to tackle a number of tasks concerning its EU path, we agreed that development should now be in the focus of attention, Mrkic said. "A new stage in the process has opened, new possibilities are at hand, but the real question now is how these should be used and transformed into economic and social development of Serbia and other countries in the region," Bildt said. Mrkic underscored that "Bildt has been Serbia's friend for a number of years now and that he visited the country at very difficult moments and always showed understanding and did his best to help, which Serbia appreciates very much." According to him, Bildt provided a lot of assistance over the past three or four months in the search for the right path to the positive decision of the European Council. They agreed that "bilateral relations are good and that there are no problems," Tanjug reported. Bildt pointed to the fresh spirit of cooperation among leaders in the region which he had a chance to see during his stay in Zagreb, both in the relations between Belgrade and Pristina and other countries in the region. "This, together with the fact that regional leaders understand that they need to seriously discuss economic issues, gives ground to certain optimism," Bildt stated. ------- Tanjug

Serbian officials meet with Swedish foreign minister

Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić said after their meeting that the country was "ready to get down to work."

At a joint press conference with Dačić, Bildt said he was "impressed by the spirit of openness among representatives from the region at yesterday's celebrations of Croatia's EU entry and that the authorities should proceed in that direction, and in that context placed a special emphasis on the relations between Belgrade and Priština."

"I congratulate Serbia on the fact that the EU confirmed the opening of EU accession negotiations. That is a road that leads Serbia into a new phase, the phase of reforms and integration," Bildt said.

The Serbian prime minister said that when it comes to EU membership negotiations, "Serbia is ready to work hard, adding that the opening of talks does not mean that Serbia has time to relax, quite the contrary."

“It is vital for us to open and complete the accession talks as soon as possible,” Dačić said.

The Serbian prime minister said that Sweden has always offered firm support to Serbia on its road toward the EU, including the granting of a start date for EU entry talks.

Dačić noted, however, that after the opening of talks, there would be "no improvement in the standard of living over night."

“I know that many will now expect to see an overnight improvement in the standard of living as of today or as of January, but you know that President Tomislav Nikolić, First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić or I have never told citizens unrealistic stories or lied to them. Here, we are not talking about the day when that could happen, but about the process and path along which we should proceed for that to happen,” the prime minister said.

Bildt noted that Serbia was "a potentially rich country," adding that "turbulent periods burdened the society and economy, but that new opportunities are now opening up."

"Serbia is at the centre of the region in geographical terms, and depends on the quality of these relations," Bildt said.

Dačić said that he informed Bildt about the situation in Serbia, reforms and dialogue with Priština, and made it clear that "Serbia is ready to get down to work."

"Serbia is not asking for any privilege, or some special status when it comes to the decision-making process in the EU institutions," according to him.

“We have deserved each and every decision, including this one on the opening of talks. In the same way, we should deserve and not get as a gift a year when we would join the EU,” the prime minister said.

According to Dačić, that means that European values, laws, organization of society and rule of law “live here in Serbia too.”

"In any case, Serbia will have political, economic and other benefits for being on the path toward the EU," he added.

"The Serbian people and the state of Serbia deserve to be a part of the European family of peoples," Dačić emphasized.

Bildt and Dačić said that bilateral relations are at a high level, but there is still room for improvement.

According to Dačić, one could expect in the coming period the realization of projects that IKEA planned in Serbia.

"It is time the Swedish prime minister visited Belgrade, given that the last visit of a Swedish prime minister took place in 1975," Dačić said.

"It is the Serbian government's task to renew old friendships, and work on strengthening the existing ones, and building trust in Serbia as a reliable partner in the EU," the prime minister said.

"Economy and development in focus"

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkić and his Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt agreed on Monday that after the decision to open Serbia's EU accession talks, all attention should focus on economic development.

At a joint news conference with Bildt, Mrkić said that new investments were discussed during the meeting.

Although Serbia is yet to tackle a number of tasks concerning its EU path, we agreed that development should now be in the focus of attention, Mrkić said.

"A new stage in the process has opened, new possibilities are at hand, but the real question now is how these should be used and transformed into economic and social development of Serbia and other countries in the region," Bildt said.

Mrkić underscored that "Bildt has been Serbia's friend for a number of years now and that he visited the country at very difficult moments and always showed understanding and did his best to help, which Serbia appreciates very much."

According to him, Bildt provided a lot of assistance over the past three or four months in the search for the right path to the positive decision of the European Council.

They agreed that "bilateral relations are good and that there are no problems," Tanjug reported.

Bildt pointed to the fresh spirit of cooperation among leaders in the region which he had a chance to see during his stay in Zagreb, both in the relations between Belgrade and Pristina and other countries in the region.

"This, together with the fact that regional leaders understand that they need to seriously discuss economic issues, gives ground to certain optimism," Bildt stated.

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