President of the Slovak Republic meets the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Vuk Jeremic

The Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Vuk Jeremic. “Ever since the beginning, the Slovak Republic has been taking all possible steps to support Serbia’s membership of the EU. And we will not retreat from this approach in the future,” the President said.

However, Ivan Gašparovič added, the requirements of the European Union must be met. The current situation is also caused by the relationship between Serbia, Kosovo, and Montenegro – Slovakia continues to comply with international law and thus does not recognise Kosovo’s independence.

At the meeting, the Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs said that “Slovakia is our closest partner in the European Union and we are deeply indebted for your support.” The Minister expressed gratitude for the financial assistance offered and pointed out that the moral support of the Slovak Republic was incalculable. “Even today, when we speak of Kosovo, we also have to talk about the overall development in the Western Balkans.”

Serbia’s key priority is EU integration. Therefore, the most important task for Serbia is to stay on its set course. According to Vuk Jeremic, the unilateral declaration of Kosovo’s independence resulted in a significant increase of intolerance between Serbs and Albanians.

The President Ivan Gašparovič said that peace and cooperation in the Western Balkans would happen only after all the countries in the region were willing to engage in a dialogue.

Vuk Jeremic pointed out that Serbia supports the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Our relations with Macedonia and Montenegro grew complicated after they recognised Kosovo’s independence.” The Minister added that Serbia had already initiated a dialogue with Croatia and expressed hope for “better times” in the Western Balkans.