Gojkovic: Danube Strategy gives boost to EU integration

NOVI SAD - Serbian Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic said Wednesday in Backa Palanka that the cooperation within the EU Danube Strategy is a valuable experience for Serbia and a strong boost to European integration as the top foreign policy priority.

"The projects within the Danube Strategy, which also includes non-EU countries, have a strong developmental component and could help promote Serbian economy to a great extent," Gojkovic said at the opening of the international scientific conference 'Danube - River of Cooperation'.

Gojkovic stressed the need to unlock the potential of the Danube, "the river that already connects us to countries of the EU and the region", and to promote the cooperation between 14 countries on its banks.

For a while, Serbia has neglected its vast resources and economic potential, and it is very important to reconsider the possibilities of cooperation in the Danube region and the implementation of the Danube Strategy, which is gradually coming into focus in the EU, she noted.

The catastrophic flooding in May that affected Serbia and the entire region has demonstrated the need for cooperation, stressed Gojkovic, adding that this international conference is also a form of cooperation, primarily in terms of preparation and implementation of specific development projects.

"It is very important that based on these projects our country and other countries in the Danube region can count on the money from the EU funds," said Gojkovic.

Chairman of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe and former vice-chancellor of Austria Erhard Busek stressed the importance of connecting people, economic and other potentials of the Danube region, and noted that Serbia plays a vital...