"SERBIA-ARMENIA TIES NEED TO BE STRENGTHENED"
B92, Serbia
March 11 2014
Source: Tanjug
YEREVAN -- Serbian FM Ivan MrkiÄ~G and his Armenian counterpart Edward
Nalbandian agreed in Yerevan that "relations between the two countries
need to be strengthened."
(Beta, file)
The signing of relevant agreements should pave the way for a legal
framework that would ensure that, Tanjug quoted the two officials
as saying.
"We are happy to be in friendly Armenia. Here we feel like on a visit
to relatives. The friendship between Serbia and Armenia spans over many
years, and on these foundations, we will build our future cooperation,"
MrkiÄ~G said after the talks.
At a joint press conference on Monday, Nalbandian noted that the
current scope of cooperation is not reflecting the real potentials of
both Serbia and Armenia, which is also illustrated by the fact that
they have so far signed only five agreements, and today another one
has been signed - an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation.
Asked by a Tanjug reporter as to which fields offer the greatest
prospects for economic cooperation, Nalbandian mentioned tourism,
industry, banking sector and finance.
A Serbian-Armenian business forum will be held in Yerevan tomorrow.
All issues relating to economic cooperation will be considered in
detail. A strong team of businesspeople will be present. Tomorrow,
we will open up new perspectives, he underscored.
The meeting of ministers was an opportunity to consider other issues
too, such as the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue on the normalization of
relations, and the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian enclave
in the territory of Azerbaijan.
Serbia backs the stands of the OSCE from Madrid when it comes to
Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the positions that Russia, France and the
Unites States presented with regard to that, MrkiÄ~G said, underlining
that Serbia was grateful for Armenia's decision not to recognize
Kosovo. The territory was unilaterally declared as independent by
ethnic Albanians in this southern Serbian province in early 2008.
"We are negotiating with the administration in an effort to normalize
relations and ensure proper living conditions for all citizens
in Kosovo, but there is no mention of the recognition of Kosovo,"
MrkiÄ~G told reporters.
He noted that last year an agreement on the normalization of relations
was reached in Brussels, and that the negotiating process is under
way which should allow for pacification of the region and introduction
of rules that will enable cooperation with Priština.
"A community of Serb municipalities will contribute to further
stabilization. We want cooperation with Priština, but Belgrade
primarily has in mind the stay of Serbs in Kosovo," MrkiÄ~G said.
Asked about the forthcoming Serbia's chairmanship of the OSCE, MrkiÄ~G
underscored that this is the co-chairmanship with Switzerland and
that Serbia, when it assumes the chairmanship next year, will further
Swiss efforts.
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2014&mm=03&dd=11&nav_id=89587
B92, Serbia
March 11 2014
Source: Tanjug
YEREVAN -- Serbian FM Ivan MrkiÄ~G and his Armenian counterpart Edward
Nalbandian agreed in Yerevan that "relations between the two countries
need to be strengthened."
(Beta, file)
The signing of relevant agreements should pave the way for a legal
framework that would ensure that, Tanjug quoted the two officials
as saying.
"We are happy to be in friendly Armenia. Here we feel like on a visit
to relatives. The friendship between Serbia and Armenia spans over many
years, and on these foundations, we will build our future cooperation,"
MrkiÄ~G said after the talks.
At a joint press conference on Monday, Nalbandian noted that the
current scope of cooperation is not reflecting the real potentials of
both Serbia and Armenia, which is also illustrated by the fact that
they have so far signed only five agreements, and today another one
has been signed - an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation.
Asked by a Tanjug reporter as to which fields offer the greatest
prospects for economic cooperation, Nalbandian mentioned tourism,
industry, banking sector and finance.
A Serbian-Armenian business forum will be held in Yerevan tomorrow.
All issues relating to economic cooperation will be considered in
detail. A strong team of businesspeople will be present. Tomorrow,
we will open up new perspectives, he underscored.
The meeting of ministers was an opportunity to consider other issues
too, such as the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue on the normalization of
relations, and the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian enclave
in the territory of Azerbaijan.
Serbia backs the stands of the OSCE from Madrid when it comes to
Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the positions that Russia, France and the
Unites States presented with regard to that, MrkiÄ~G said, underlining
that Serbia was grateful for Armenia's decision not to recognize
Kosovo. The territory was unilaterally declared as independent by
ethnic Albanians in this southern Serbian province in early 2008.
"We are negotiating with the administration in an effort to normalize
relations and ensure proper living conditions for all citizens
in Kosovo, but there is no mention of the recognition of Kosovo,"
MrkiÄ~G told reporters.
He noted that last year an agreement on the normalization of relations
was reached in Brussels, and that the negotiating process is under
way which should allow for pacification of the region and introduction
of rules that will enable cooperation with Priština.
"A community of Serb municipalities will contribute to further
stabilization. We want cooperation with Priština, but Belgrade
primarily has in mind the stay of Serbs in Kosovo," MrkiÄ~G said.
Asked about the forthcoming Serbia's chairmanship of the OSCE, MrkiÄ~G
underscored that this is the co-chairmanship with Switzerland and
that Serbia, when it assumes the chairmanship next year, will further
Swiss efforts.
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2014&mm=03&dd=11&nav_id=89587