Serbia grateful to Austria for assistance on European path

BELGRADE - Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday thanked Austria for the wholehearted assistance it has offered to Serbia in the wake of the catastrophic floods and for its support to the country on the European path.

At a joint press conference in Belgrade after discussions with Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, Vucic expressed gratitude to Austria as a state, as well as to its banks, institutions and charity organisations that have come to Serbia's assistance.

I would like to note that Austria, alongside the United Arab Emirates and Norway, is one of the three countries that assisted the reconstruction in Serbia the most, Vucic said, adding that he is also grateful for the assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina and other flood-hit countries in the region.

The Serbian prime minister also thanked the Austrian Caritas, which provided aid for 205 families affected by the floods, and the country's Red Cross, for sending EUR 1.7 million in aid, which is due to arrive once procedures are completed and the issue of value-added taxation solved.
"Tonight I will have the honour of having my friend Sebastian Kurz as my dinner guest - he is giving us enormous support on our European path. My message to him is that, when the time comes, Serbia will always be supportive of him and vote for him," Vucic said.

He also thanked the Austrian media company Kurier, which raised EUR 500,000 in aid for Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Commenting on the European Commission progress report on Serbia, Vucic said that it is better than all other reports in the region.
"When I speak to Sebastian Kurz, I cannot conceal my smile, even though I am tired after two days of reading the report carefully. It took...