Merkel to Vucic: We are here to help

 German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Friday addressed reporters before their meeting in Berlin, B92 reports.

Merkel, who spoke first, stressed the importance of the talks conducted in Brussels between Serbia and Kosovo, adding that close cooperation and discussion was important in the process of EU integration.

According to her, Serbia has undertaken encouraging reforms. Merkel commended the Serbian prime minister for this.

“We are here to help find a solution, no matter how difficult that may seem,” Merkel said.

After thanking the German chancellor for her personal interest in the Balkans and Serbia, Vucic stressed that, as far as bilateral relations were concerned, Serbia and Germany were taking big steps forward.

“Each year trade between Germany and Serbia increases. Germany is the most important EU country to us,” Vucic said.

According to him, difficult and painful steps are ahead of Serbia on the road toward EU membership. On that road, he stressed, “Serbia is dedicated to peace and stability.”

“Any kind of conflict would set all our countries and peoples back 100 years. We strive to avoid tensions, conflicts, and destabilization,” he said, and added that bad news always dominates in Serbia.

“Yesterday ground was broken for two German factories, but bad news such as the region’s destabilization dominates. I believe that, with Germany, we will overcome that,” he concluded.