Marko Djuric (mfa.gov.rs)
Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said at the first conference of the Balkan Peace Platform, held in Istanbul on July 26 at Turkey's initiative, that Serbia did not want an alternative to European Union integration, but did want equal participation and an equal vote within the EU, the Serbian Foreign Ministry said in a press release.
Djuric said Serbia considered valuable any initiative for elevating cooperation in the Balkans, especially if it came from a Balkan country. He went on to say that it was important for the region to show the EU and the international community more broadly that it was capable of discussing shared challenges, economic opportunities and cooperation in foreign and security policy.
All countries in the region, he said, share the ambition of gaining full membership in the EU and have much to contribute to the economic and social development of Europe. Djuric further stated that Serbia, like other Balkan nations, deserved to have its contributions valued appropriately and receive support proportional to that already enjoyed by some EU members, pointing out the large gap in the amount of European funds available to member and candidate states.
He pointed out that, even though there was a certain lack of agreement on individual issues -- especially the status of Kosovo and Metohija -- there was readiness to discuss even the most difficult subjects openly and with the desire to build mutual understanding. The Serbian minister stressed that he had spoken with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during the conference about bilateral matters and the situation in the region, recalling that relations between Serbia and Turkey were supported to a great extent by the good personal relationship between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
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