Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre said today in Belgrade that the relations between the two countries are traditionally friendly and good.
At a joint press conference held after the meeting, Jeremic expressed his appreciation to Norway for the assistance provided to Serbia in recent years, noting that Norway is one of the largest donors to Serbia.
He recalled that Norway is also one of the largest investors in Serbia, and expressed the hope that in coming years there will be more investment from this country.
There is little difference in how Serbia and Norway view international relations, especially when it comes to strategic issues in the Western Balkans.
Jeremic said that during today’s meeting they discussed accelerating the process of European integration in the region, improving the relations among the Western Balkan countries and resolving outstanding issues.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway said that his country will do everything in its power to assist and support Serbia’s path towards the EU.
Norway strongly supports Serbia’s ambitions for EU membership, he said, indicating that the arrival of new investments from that country in Serbia will improve the environment for investment.
Telenor is a leading example of Norwegian investments in Serbia. We want to see new investments, but to make that happen it is necessary to improve the investment environment, and improve transparency and have a strong fight against corruption, he said.
Jeremic said that the main element of the proposal which was yesterday submitted to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is that the mandate to investigate allegations of the Council of Europe special rapporteur Dick Marty on organ trafficking in Kosovo must be given to the UN Security Council.
He said that all war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia were investigated under the mandate of the Security Council and that those who are investigating these crimes were obliged to report to the Security Council.
There is no reason that victims from Kosovo are treated as less valuable, said the Minister.
Jeremic stressed that the UN Secretary General will forward this proposal to member countries of the UN Security Council so that the presiding country (Colombia this month and France in May) could launch formal consultations at the request of Serbia.
He explained that the consultation process can last for weeks, and expressed the hope that eventually a consensus would be reached on this very important issue.
The international community, said the Minister, is well aware of our intention and persistence. The time has come for action and I believe that the international community will achieve a common position – in order to get to the truth, which is possible only if a credible investigation is conducted.
Jeremic said that Serbia already consulted with members of the Security Council on this issue in previous months.
Source srbija.gov.rs
