Annex to deal with Fiat signed

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic, Fiat Group Vice-President Alfredo Altavilla and Fiat Automobili Srbija CEO Giovanni De Filippis today signed an annex to the Agreement on Joint Investment between Serbia and Fiat, based on which Zastava will become part of the Fiat Group.Photo: Fonet

Following the signing Dinkic said he will issue the motion for the transfer of Zastava’s assets to the joint company Fiat Automobili Srbija.

The Minister announced that the transfer should be completed by December 29, by which time Fiat should also complete the transfer of a portion of its founding capital of around €100 million.

One of the novelties envisaged in the annex is the production of two completely new car models that will be exported to the European and US markets, Dinkic announced.

The production output will be 200,000 vehicles a year, which will bring in around €2 billion from export.

Altavilla noted that President Boris Tadic also played an important role in this matter.

Tadic gave us his support and I am truly grateful to him, Altavilla said and thanked the entire Serbian government as well, especially Deputy Prime Minister Dinkic, for their cooperation and engagement.

Altavilla announced that one half of Fiat’s founding capital of €200 million will be paid by the year’s end and the remaining €100 million during 2010.

Signing of SAA opened new phase of relations between Serbia, the EU

Minister of Trade and Services Slobodan Milosavljevic said today that the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU will bring more investment to Serbia, create new jobs, increase production and improve Serbia's market competitiveness.Speaking at a press conference, held on the occasion of the presentation of the "Information campaign on obligations and advantages of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and EU candidacy" project, Milosavljevic said that Serbia will have a free trade regime which will be impossible to suspend and it will have the opportunity to use funds from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA).

The Minister said that, after 20 years, Serbian citizens can travel freely to EU countries, which is a big advantage for businessmen as well, because that saves them time and opens business possibilities.

According to him, the potentials of Serbia's economy exceed its market, and in many areas they even exceed those of the CEFTA region.

Presenting the brochures “Protecting the Competition”, “Product Safety” and “Consumer Protection”, he said that the relevant ministry and the author of the brochures, Professor Tanja Miscevic from the Faculty of Political Sciences, published the three brochures within the SAA context.

Milosavljevic explained that the goal of the brochures is to provide information to businessmen, scientist, experts and Serbian citizens about the progress made in the harmonisation of regulations with the EU.

Miscevic said that with the signing of the SAA a new stage in the relations between Serbia and the EU commenced, adding that one of Serbia’s key tasks will be to implement the regulations, and not just adopt them.

Once we are granted candidate status the European Commission will not only be our partner in the talks, but also a strict opponent, with whom we must fight to prove what we want to achieve with the agreement, she explained.

Miscevic recalled that other EU candidates also underwent the same procedure, adding that in Serbia’s case the European Commission will be increasing controls gradually, which will pose a great challenge to everyone in public administration.

Serbia chooses right moment to apply for EU candidate status

Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said today in Rome that after making the decision to apply for candidate status, Serbia is aware of the fact that it has to work hard to ensure a consensus within the EU for every step that follows towards full membership.Bozidar Djelic, left, and Franco Frattini
Photo: Fonet

After a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, Djelic said that Serbia is ready to do its share of the work and that it showed this readiness by starting the unilateral implementation of the interim trade agreement with the EU.

He said that Serbia’s road to the EU will neither be quick nor easy but plans are being prepared ahead of time, adding that all ministries have been told to prepare a response to EU questionnaires regarding the integration process.

We have started preparing for that which will hopefully await us next year, said Djelic, stressing that Italy’s explicit support has given Serbia the strength and will to struggle on.

Frattini said that Serbia has chosen the right moment to apply for candidate status and after that it will be up to Serbia to work hard to achieve its ambitious goal of acquiring candidate status by the end of next year.

Serbia has made major progress and produced concrete results because of which our friends from the Netherlands allowed the implementation of the interim trade agreement. Now the future is in your hands. That what was conveyed to us by Serbian President Boris Tadic and Serbian officials is indeed a very ambitious plan, said the Italian Foreign Minister.

He said that he was always against sanctions against Serbia and in favour of a positive attitude, adding that it has been proven that this was the right approach.

Frattini said that after submitting the application for candidate status Serbia will have a lot of work to do to reassure the few EU countries who are still doubtful that Serbia deserves positive signals.

Djelic, who is also Minister of Science and Technology, signed with Frattini a memorandum concerning scientific cooperation between the two countries.

After his meeting with Frattini, Djelic travelled to Stockholm where he will join President Boris Tadic tomorrow who will submit Serbia’s application for EU candidacy.