Serbia can count on Greece’s strong partnership support in the European integration process and on the implementation of all necessary reforms that contribute to the overall development of the country.
Greece tops the list of European countries when it comes to the number of people who’ve been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. This is both the result of the commitment of the Greek leadership and health authorities, for the sake of the well-being of its citizen, as well as the contribution of Greece to the fight against the pandemic and the gradual return to normal life and economic activities in the greater community.
It was Greece’s idea to introduce a so-called “covid passport” and at present the EU has, at least partially, accepted it. People’s movements have been restricted for a long time now, and it is up to us to find safe but efficient ways to gradually restore our way of life as it used to be. Indeed, that is also of tremendous importance to our economies, especially those with large service sectors.
The vaccination process is also underway in Serbia, as it is in Greece. We are all looking forward to progress on talks between the Greek and Serbian tourism ministers regarding the essential conditions required to open two countries’ borders to citizens during the summer season. Indeed, these talks represent one more example of good bilateral relations between the two countries, which are based on sound foundations and mutual respect.
There are high hopes that a sustainable solution enabling people to travel freely will allow Greece to open its borders to tourists, while maintaining all necessary measures to keep both Greek tourism workers and visitors safe and healthy
Let us remind readers that the two countries signed the Declaration on the Strategic Partnership in December 2019, which further enriched our mutual cooperation. Although COVID-19 altered all diplomatic activities to a certain extent, both sides are looking forward to opportunities to work further on the partnership.
With this in mind, it is important to emphasise that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has reiterated that Greece will remain committed to its position not to recognise the independence of Kosovo. Greece also remains true in supporting Serbia’s EU accession process and is looking forward to Serbia joining the EU once all criteria have been fulfilled. As has been repeated on numerous occasions, Serbia can count on Greece’s strong partnership support in the European integration process and on the implementation of all necessary reforms that contribute to the overall development of the country.
Indeed, such advancements would also boost bilateral trade and increase investment opportunities for Greek investors who believe that, once such progress is achieved, Serbia will be one of the region’s most attractive destinations for investments. This would also have a positive impact on economic relations. As we already know, there is significant room for improvement in the sectors of agriculture, food and beverages, building materials, energy, and information and communication technologies.
Today, things may not seem like they are looking up overnight, but we have to maintain our optimism and work hard to overcome the challenges we’re facing, stay healthy, and look forward to a summer that might bring us some much wanted relief.