The importance and healthy state of bilateral relations between Italy and Serbia and the Italian government’s strong support for Belgrade’s accession to the European Union. These were the topics at the centre of discussions during Deputy Foreign Minister Marta Dassù’s mission to Serbia on 8 October. The visit came one week before the third Italian-Serbian inter-governmental summit, which takes place on 15 October 2013 in Ancona. During the mission, Dassù had talks with a number of senior members of the Serbian government, including the Premier Ivica Dacic, the Deputy Premier, Aleksandar Vucic, and Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic.
Belgrade’s reforms will encourage Italian investment
“Italy and Serbia are linked by very strong, and sound, bilateral relations. The third inter-governmental summit taking place next week in Ancona will set the seal on this relationship, which is highly important both to Italy and to Serbia”. The point was underscored to journalists by Marta Dassù at the end of her meeting with the Serbian Foreign Minister, Ivan Mrkic. Bilateral relations which could be further strengthened following the package of economic measures that have been approved by the government in Belgrade, as Minister Mrkic informed Deputy Minister Dassù.
“The package contains very important provisions and reforms that will improve the economic climate and encourage Italian investment in Serbia”, commented Dassù. She added that the reform programme could also pave the way for an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). An agreement that would be very important to Serbia, where about 500 Italian companies currently operate.
We’re counting on closer integration between Serbia and the EU, says Deputy Minister
The meetings in Belgrade were an opportunity for the Italian Deputy Foreign Minister to discuss numerous wide-ranging questions with her Serbian hosts: from the preparations for the inter-governmental summit in Ancona to the development of the Adriatic-Ionian strategy to Serbia’ European integration process. On this last point, Dassù assured her hosts of Italy’s strong support for Serbia’s accession to the EU. She underscored that the Italian-Serbian summit on 15 October will also provide Belgrade with technical support to address some of the negotiating chapters.
“We’re counting on closer integration between Serbia and the EU. A process that will be particularly significant in 2014, when Italy will hold the EU Presidency in the second half of the year. We’ll be able to cover part of the road together in Europe”, commented the Deputy Minister. She also mentioned the consultancy position on EU issues that the former Italian foreign minister, Franco Frattini, has accepted from Serbia’s deputy premier. According to the schedule agreed by the European Council in late June 2013, Serbia will begin its EU access negotiations by the end of January 2014, once the commitments it has undertaken have been implemented.
Kosovo: local elections will be as representative as possible
Marta Dassù’s mission also touched on the progress made in Brussels on 7 October by Premier Dacic and his Kosovar counterpart, Hashim Thaci, in relations between the two former Yugoslav countries. The two heads of government signed an agreement that will allow Serbian politicians to visit Kosovo, including during the election campaign, without further restrictions and on the basis of the arrangements currently in force. The agreement has eliminated a dangerous potential source of friction between Serbia and Kosovo in the run-up to the latter’s local elections on 3 November 2013.
For Italy, it is important for the elections to be fair and above board and as representative as possible, with the participation of the Serbian population. As Deputy Minister Dassù remarked, “the proper conduct of the voting in Kosovo is an important step in opening Serbia’s EU accession negotiations next January”.
