Nikolic,Zeman: Long friendship of Czech Republic, Serbia

BELGRADE - The presidents of Serbia and the Czech Republic, Tomislav Nikolic and Milos Zeman respectively, agreed on Tuesday that relations between the two countries are marked by a long-standing friendship, and Nikolic noted that it is particularly important to Serbia that Prague supports the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and opposes further conditioning of Serbia along the EU path.

"Bilateral relations are at a high level, and political, economic and cultural ties - strong. Serbia is willing to deepen cooperation and intensify a dialogue between the two countries. We do not agree with certain moves of the Czech Republic such as the recognition of the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo, but that does not stop us from building friendly ties," Nikolic told a news conference after a meeting with Zeman.

Underscoring that Serbia is the Czech Republic's most significant partner in the Balkans, Nikolic said that much attention was dedicated to prospective investments, greenfield and others, and noted that the country had invested EUR 30 million in Serbia since 2005.

He thanked the Czech Republic on the strong support to Serbia's EU integration.

After the formation of a new government, we will embark on reforms, continue the dialogue on Kosovo, and ensure an environment that would be more conducive to investment, Nikolic said.

"Turbulent times are behind us. Serbia is a reliable partner in the world and region," President Nikolic said.

Zeman said that there is a long-standing friendship between the two countries and confirmed unconditional support to Serbia along its EU path, singling out a drop in unemployment or job creation as the most important aspect of future cooperation.

In that...