Austrian Chancellor Visits Belgrade: EU Should Acknowledge Serbia’s Progress

Kurz, Vucic (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV/DS)

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said during a visit to Belgrade on Sept. 4 that he hoped new clusters would be opened soon for Serbia in the country's accession talks with the European Union (EU), because "it is important that there is acknowledgment" of Serbia's "enormous progress."

"I believe that it is important the EU is predictable, because that is one of the fundamentals of trust. It is also important that acknowledgment exists for the enormous progress that has taken place here, particularly in terms of extremely positive economic growth. As far as acknowledgment goes, we truly hope that new clusters will be opened soon, and we will keep working for that to happen," Chancellor Kurz said after a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

He said that Serbia was Austria's biggest economic partner in the Western Balkans, with bilateral trade reaching over two billion euros. "Austria is one of the largest investors here, in Serbia, which is why we are glad to see this exceptionally positive economic growth. A growth rate of six, and even seven percent, is very impressive," Kurz said.

The chancellor also met with Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, saying at the meeting that Austria supported talks between Belgrade and Pristina, describing the dialogue as "an important process of vital importance to the region's stability and progress."