24 August 2021

The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, the Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić, and the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ivica Dačić, received today at separate meetings the Speaker of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sweden, Andreas Norlén.

At the meeting with President Vučić, it was stated that the priority for the two countries should be to strengthen political dialogue and various forms of cooperation. In that regard, Vučić emphasized the importance of strengthening parliamentary cooperation.

President Vučić emphasized that Serbia especially wants to improve its economic relations with Sweden, with the hope that more companies from that country could decide to invest in our country. He especially emphasized the importance of development cooperation, which is realized with the help of the Swedish Development Agency, and which the Swedish partners consider to be a "model of good cooperation" of that agency with a country.

Vučić thanked for Sweden's readiness to transfer its experiences from various processes related to the European Union, especially in the area of the rule of law, expressing gratitude for supporting Serbia's European path. In this regard, the President of the Swedish Parliament, Norlén, pointed out that his country supports the enlargement of the EU. He also expressed support for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

At a meeting with Norlén, Prime Minister Brnabić discussed bilateral relations between the two countries, European integration, reforms and activities that Serbia is implementing in the process of joining the European Union.

Brnabić pointed out that European integration is a strategic goal and a key priority of the country, and that Serbia highly appreciates the support of the Swedish government in that process.

The reforms that Serbia is implementing in the field of rule of law, judiciary and state administration speak in favor of the Government's commitment to essential changes, she explained and stated that the goal of the reforms is not exclusively Serbia's membership in the European Union, but that they are also a precondition for a better life for our citizens.

The focus of the reforms is, above all, on the judicial system, which has the widest impact on our society, but also on the economic stability of the state, because, as she explained, it has a direct impact on creating a favorable investment climate.

When it comes to media freedom, Brnabić emphasized that the important task of the state is the safety and protection of journalists, and that the positive effects of the activities of the Working Group dealing with this issue are visible, which results in a decreasing trend of reported cases of endangering the safety of journalists.

Norlén conveyed that Sweden's support for Serbia's integration will continue to be unequivocal, pointing to the fact that our countries are also connected by a large Serbian diaspora, very well integrated into the Swedish society.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Ivica Dačić, stated that the relations between Serbia and Sweden are on the rise.

He pointed out that he informed Norlén about the reform process, especially the part that is taking place in the parliament, which refers to constitutional changes, as well as about what is being done when it comes to Chapters 23 and 24, which refer to the rule of law.

"I informed him about the course of the inter-party dialogue, with the desire to find a political agreement that would enable all political parties to participate in the next elections, which should be held next year", said Dačić.

He also stated that last year, the foreign trade exchange of the two countries was around 355 million euros, which is a significant figure, but far below the realistic possibilities.

He expressed satisfaction with the presence of a large number of reputable Swedish companies in Serbia, stating that about 70 companies with Swedish capital operate in our country.

He added that he wished for our people living in Sweden to be a bridge of cooperation between the two countries, for it to be our contribution to the best possible bilateral relations in the future.

The Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, Norlén, pointed out that Sweden supports Serbia's European ambitions, but also that our country still has to work on reforms in the area of rule of law, judicial system, fight against corruption, reform of the political system, and media freedoms. He added that he encourages the ongoing inter-party dialogue in Serbia.