Serbia, Albania to improve relations for EU integration

Better political relations among Serbia, Albania and in the region will improve chances for faster EU accession and economic progress, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said here Thursday.

Vucic made the statement at the opening of the sixth Belgrade Security Forum. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama was also in attendance.

Partaking in the opening discussion on the future of Albanian-Serbian relations and the stability of south east Europe, Vucic said that despite his worries about political relations in the region, he saw immense potential.

"We have built a trust between Serbs and Albanians, but it is still fragile," Vucic said, warning there were other regional challenges such as the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and tension between Serbia and Croatia.

However, he said Serbia wished for the best possible relations in order to boost the economy and make progress on the European path.

After the discussion at the Belgrade security forum, Vucic and Rama held an official meeting at the Palace of Serbia where they discussed bilateral relations, economic cooperation, the migrant crisis and regional relations.

According to the press release of the Serbian government, Serbia is permanently dedicated to developing bilateral relations with Albania, which, according to Vucic, contributes to the overall stability of the Western Balkan region.

The two prime ministers agreed that meetings of officials of the two countries in the past two years have helped overcome differences and strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation, the release concluded. Endit