Vucic: Serbia wants much greater economic cooperation with UK

BELGRADE - Speaking at the opening of a regional conference on trade between the UK and the Western Balkans, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Serbia wanted much greater economic cooperation with the UK and British companies and noted that the UK was also a very important political partner to Serbia.

"We want better and closer relations with the UK when it comes to boosting trade and the level of services, as well as in tourism and all types of social activity. The UK, Great Britain, is the world's sixth-largest economic power, one of the world's most important and one of the biggest political powers and an extremely important partner to us. Somehow, we have often made the big mistake of underestimating Great Britain," Vucic noted at the conference, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia.

"When we needed to solve the issue of financing for the soon-to-be-completed Morava Corridor from Vrnjacka banja to Pojate, UK Finance was the firm with which we reached an agreement the most quickly," Vucic said.

"Were they the cheapest and are they always the cheapest? I am not sure, but are they the most efficient and do they finish things the most quickly, and can you always make a very favourable deal for your country? You can, and that is my advice to other people in the Western Balkans," Vucic said.