23.11.2012.
Minister Vucic visits Norway
The First Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Aleksandar Vucic met with members of the Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs and Defence of the Norwegian Parliament led by Ana Maria Eriksen Sereide.The President of the Norwegian Committee stressed that Norway and Serbia are tied with traditionally good relations and expressed her belief that the political and economic ties between the two countries can and must be on a higher level.
At the beginning of the talks, Vucic said that nowadays Norway is the largest foreign investor in the Serbian economy and that the new Serbian set of laws on public procurement, public companies, as well as fierce combat against corruption, will improve the investment environment, urging the Norwegian Government and private companies to invest in Serbia.
Representatives of the Norwegian Government welcomed the Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence with full state honours.
Minister Vucic met today with Minister of Defence of Norway Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen, with whom he discussed the promotion of the military-to-military, military-economic, military educational and military medical cooperation.
"Serbia, respecting its Constitution and parliamentary declaration, will not join NATO or any other military alliance, but through the Partnership for Peace, it will continue further modernization and professionalization of the armed forces as well as the promotion and development of operational and functional capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces. One of the priorities of the Ministry of Defence is also the development of bilateral relations with Norway that has provided great assistance to the Serbian Armed Forces in implementing reforms in defence system and military education as well as a number of donations in the previous period", Vucic pointed out.During the meeting, they agreed to continue cooperation in the area of budgeting and human resources, and to establish cooperation on a programme for increasing energy efficiency in the defence system of the Republic of Serbia.
At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Norway said that for Norway Serbia is a trustworthy partner.
During the afternoon, Minister Vucic laid a wreath at the cemetery Vestre Gravlund to the Yugoslavs who had died during the internment in the Second World War.
In the evening, Minister Vucic will meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Espen Bart Eide.
