PM Ponta: I'll remain big advocate of Serbia, Moldova and Georgia

Prime Minister Victor Ponta said on Thursday he feels very good as a prime minister, and regardless of the public position he will hold as of November, he will remain a big advocate of Serbia's integration and of the other states in the region aspiring to join the EU.

When asked by journalists during a joint press conference with his Serbian counterpart Aleksander Vucic whether he will run in this November's presidential elections, Ponta said: "I feel very good as a prime minister in the company of Mr. Vucic, but we will remain friends even if I become president. We had the opportunity a little while ago to meet in an informal context, six prime ministers — three from the European Union, three of states that will join the European Union, [namely] Serbia, [the Republic of] Moldova and Georgia — people from the same generation, sharing the same values and the same aspirations for their countries. So, regardless of the public position I will hold in Romania, I will remain a big advocate of Serbia, Moldova, Georgia, of other countries (...) Romania has been on this road, it was a very difficult path (...) but it was worth it. I think for the Serbian people the European way is the right one."

Prime Minister Ponta, paying a two-day official visit to the Republic of Serbia on July 16-17, had official talks with the Serbian Prime Minister on Thursday in Belgrade; talks focused on Serbia's EU path, the development joint infrastructure projects, and the situation of the Romanian minority in Serbia.

Ponta also met Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic. In the second part of the day, Victor Ponta, Foreign Affairs Minister Titus Corlatean, Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea and the Serbian PM are expected in a visit to Bor Lake in Serbia; they...