Serbia

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Ivica Dacic spoke with Ghanaian counterpart Shirley Ayorkor Botchway in Belgrade on Thursday, thanking her for Ghana's support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia regarding Kosovo-Metohija.

BELGRADE, April 11 (Tanjug) - Serbian FM Ivica Dacic received French special Western Balkans envoy Rene Troccaz on Thursday.

Economic growth in the six Western Balkan countries is projected to rise 3.2% this year and 3.5% in 2025, going back to pre-pandemic averages but still too low for faster convergence with the European Union, the World Bank has said in a report.

BELGRADE - Representatives of the opposition Serbia Against Violence coalition walked out of Thursday's meeting with the ruling coalition on implementation of ODIHR recommendations.

At a press conference in the lobby of the parliament building, the representatives did not elaborate on whether they would take part in further dialogue on the matter.

BELGRADE - The World Bank has revised upward its 2024 GDP growth projection for Serbia from 3 pct to 3.5 pct.

At a presentation of the institution's regular economic report for the Western Balkans, World Bank Senior Economist Lazar Sestovic said the projection had been revised following an increase in investments that was expected to result in slightly stronger economic growth.

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao in Belgrade on Wednesday to discuss strategic aspects of bilateral and economic relations as well as concrete projects that will strongly accelerate Serbia's growth.

BELGRADE - Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic met with OSCE Chairman and Maltese FM Ian Borg in Belgrade on Wednesday.

Brnabic informed Borg she had invited all parliamentary parties to another round of discussions on implementation of recommendations by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), scheduled for Thursday.

BELGRADE - The Serbian Ministry of Defence dismissed on Wednesday as "extremely unfounded and incompetent" allegations that a purchase of 12 new Rafale multirole fighter jets was a violation of Serbia's military neutrality, and noted that such claims were aimed at generating artificial publicity and deceiving the public.

ATHENS - Quoting unnamed diplomatic sources, the Greek news agency ANA reports that Greece's position on Serbia and the so-called Kosovo remains completely unchanged.

"There has been no change of attitude, nor do we intend for there to be a change of attitude," the sources were quoted as saying.

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Ivica Dacic met with OSCE Chairperson and Maltese FM Ian Borg in Belgrade on Wednesday, and noted that Serbia considered the OSCE the most significant security platform and stood ready to contribute to dialogue amid a global crisis.