Thanking the Speaker for the reception, in a conversation about current issues of interest for Serbia, the US Ambassador said that the US believes that Belgrade and Serbia seem to be ready to negotiate. According to him, the US Government is pleased to see things moving in a good direction and deemed that the political factors in Serbia seem to wish to overcome the Kosovo issue and focus on other priorities including the economy, anti-corruption efforts and European integration.
Speaker Stefanovic said that he believes it is time to focus on the economy, adding the heartening fact that December 2012 recorded a very small but still present economic growth which will, he hopes, continue in 2013. Stefanovic mentioned the aspect of international cooperation including the one that promotes attracting investment into the country. Declaring the increase of budget funds for agricultural production a smart move, he also added that investments, especially investments into agriculture, should be continued. Stefanovic mentioned the agricultural investments by the United Arab Emirates as a good example.
Ambassador Kirby agreed that Serbian agriculture shows great long-term potential and asked about the education system as regards educating staff for modern agricultural production, especially regarding investment planning and production. As potential economic branches which could be developed more significantly Ambassador Kirby also mentioned the construction industry, noting that bureaucratic procedure blocks a more significant development of the branch in Serbia. The US Ambassador also spoke about on the US programmes related to education and potential US investment into Serbia.