Djuric meets with Belgium's Prevot

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Marko Djuric met with Belgian Deputy PM and FM Maxime Prevot in Belgrade on Wednesday, noting that the volume of Serbia-Belgium bilateral trade had totalled around 1.5 bln euros last year and that there was readiness for further advancement of economic cooperation.

"The head of Serbian diplomacy expressed his pleasure at hosting his Belgian counterpart in Belgrade in a year marking the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries," the Serbian MFA said in a statement.

"The two ministers discussed a range of important topics, including Serbia’s strategic priorities, its aspiration to join the European Union, as well as various regional issues and the broader global situation," it said.

“An important topic of our discussions was economic cooperation, and I would like to underline the fact that, according to our estimates, the level of trade exchange between our two countries reached approximately 1.5 bln euros last year. In that context, we expressed our readiness to continue advancing economic cooperation and identified a number of sectors in which it can be further enhanced, including the agri-food sector, energy, environmental protection, metal processing, and IT," Djuric was quoted as saying at a press conference with Prevot.

Djuric also informed Prevot of developments in Kosovo-Metohija as well as of challenges faced by Serbs in the province in light of unilateral and uncoordinated actions by the administration of Albin Kurti

"He reiterated that Serbia remains committed to dialogue and to preserving peace and stability in the region," the MFA said.

"We held extensive discussions on the reforms our country is implementing in order to meet the formal, legal, and political requirements for European Union membership. Our exchange was very candid and open, and I can say that in the days and weeks ahead Serbia intends to invest additional efforts to fully implement its reform agenda and necessary legislative changes by the end of this year, in order to create the conditions for accelerating its accession process to the European Union,” Djuric said.

He stressed the importance of Serbia’s efforts on its European path being duly recognised and valued.

"On our part, I can say that beyond rhetoric, we are committed to delivering more - both to our citizens and in terms of activities within the framework of the European agenda. However, it is crucial that we receive positive signals from both sides, and it would be particularly important for the citizens of Serbia and Serbian institutions to receive a clear message from Brussels - not only as the capital of the Kingdom of Belgium, but as the seat of the EU’s administrative bodies - that the reforms we are undertaking are acknowledged and rewarded,” Djuric said.

He added that it was important to see the opening of new negotiation clusters in the coming months as that represented the best way of preventing a decline in public support for EU membership.

"Today’s discussion was very substantive, constructive and positive. For us, Belgium is an exceptionally important partner with which we wish to further intensify cooperation in the future. Minister Prevot’s visit is an important step in that direction," Djuric concluded.

Prevot "expressed his satisfaction with his first official visit to Serbia, particularly as it takes place in a year marking 140 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries," the statement said.

Prevot noted that the meeting with Djuric had discussed the key aspects of bilateral cooperation, the future of Serbia’s EU accession process, as well as regional stability and security.

"He placed particular emphasis on the economic and social dimensions of bilateral relations, noting that these are reflected in trade exceeding 1.5 bln euros, as well as in the strong presence of Belgian companies in Serbia.

He added that he had visited the company Metech in Smederevo the previous day, which, as he noted, represents a tangible symbol of Belgium’s economic presence and long-term commitment to Serbia’s development.

The head of Belgian diplomacy stressed that from Belgrade he sends a message to the citizens of Serbia that the doors of the European Union are and will remain open, but that significant work still lies ahead. He underlined that further progress on this path must be based on credible and measurable reforms.

He also referred to the stalemate in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, stating that Belgium emphasises the need for responsible engagement by all parties, respect for existing agreements, and the deescalation of tensions.

Prevot concluded by emphasising that his country remains open to further strengthening cooperation with Serbia, reiterating that Belgium remains a partner on which Serbia can rely," the MFA also said.