Giaufret: Agreement concrete example of EU solidarity towards Serbia

BELGRADE - The head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret said on Tuesday a new financial agreement on EU support to Serbia's energy sector was a concrete example of EU solidarity that would help vulnerable families and entrepreneurs deal with the energy crisis.

Giaufret was speaking at a signing ceremony at the national dispatch centre of Serbia's power grid operator EMS, also attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

He noted that the EU was fully and unequivocally committed to the Western Balkans, including Serbia.

He said this had been unanimously confirmed by European leaders at a Tirana summit in December and was not only about words, but also about actions, as well as about the means to achieve them.

He noted that the EU had rolled out a 1 bln euro energy assistance package for the Western Balkans.

He said Serbia's portion of the package would help vulnerable families and entrepreneurs deal with the energy crisis.

He said it would help Serbia's energy security, support its energy road map and objectives that were a part of it, as well as a transition to green energy.

The agreement was signed by Serbia's European Integration Minister Tanja Miscevic and the deputy head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Plamena Halacheva.

The ceremony was also attended by Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali, Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic and EMS General Manager Jelena Matejic.