Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Prof. Dr Dragoljub Micunovic received Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Spyros Kouvelis at the National Assembly House today.

Both were pleased at the progress of the already excellent bilateral relations between the two traditionally friendly countries and nations.

The representative of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Greece is the second largest investor in Serbia and a strong supporter of its progress to the European Union. He was particularly interested in the political situation in Serbia.

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Dragoljub Micunovic deemed the political situation in Serbia stable and even though the opposition parties are clamouring for an early election, there is a stable parliamentary majority. The basic course of the country’s policy is aimed at an expedient achievement of membership candidacy and opening negotiations with the European Union, stressed Micunovic adding that all parties, except for one, an opposition party, pursue the European course.

Micunovic said that Serbia is facing an economic crisis, drop in living standard and rise in unemployment, as well as deepening of social differences.

In the discussion the officials exchanged opinions on the impact of the global economic crisis on the two countries’ economies. Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Spyros Kouvelis said that the Greek Government is implementing a radical reform programme accepted by the Greek people and endorsed by the European Union.

At the end of the meeting, they emphasised the need to establish closer cooperation between the Serbian and Greek parliaments on the level of committee and friendship groups. The Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman deemed the Greek parliamentarians’ increased engagement on expediting Serbia’s European Union accession at the European Parliament useful.

They also highlighted the importance of economic cooperation, particularly in the spheres of energy production, tourism, telecommunications and infrastructure.