"Important year for Serbia's EU agenda"

"Important year for Serbia's EU agenda"

BELGRADE -- Serbian PM Aleksandar Vucic and EU Delegation head Michael Davenport agreed on Tuesday 2015 was "an important year for Serbia in terms of its EU integration."

During the meeting, Vucic "highlighted that the issue of maintaining political and economic stability in the Western Balkans region is of key importance for Serbia."

Davenport presented the EU's position on the further dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and other issues of relevance for the region, the government's press office stated in a release.

The Serbian prime minister asked for support from the EU for giving the go-ahead for the plan aimed at restructuring the Smederevo Steelworks and the business plan of the future investor, the Esmark company from the United States, so that Serbia could give the state assistance.

The meeting came amid controversy involving the reporting of an EU-funded publication and Vucic's reaction to it, but was, according to the statement, "the first in a series of regular meetings" planned between the two officials this year.

The statement, however, does not say whether "the media situation" was also the topic today.