Nikolic: France is of great help to Serbia's EU integration

BELGRADE - Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic met with France's Prime MInister Manuel Valls on Friday and said that France was of great help to Serbia's EU integration and that it had proven itself a true friend during this year's floods.

He welcomed Valls on behalf of the Serbian people, adding that he was certain that the inscription on the monument of gratitude to France, saying: "Let us love France the way it loved us," was inscribed also on the Serbian people's hearts.

Unfortunately, it is increasingly customary to measure friendship by economic parameters and many countries have overtaken France in that field, he stated, stressing that Serbia was an optimal destination for investors because of its good geographical position, successful reforms, skilled workforce and numerous free trade agreements.

"France is of great help to our European course, and it has proven itself a true friend during the floods that hit us," he noted, pointing out that the donor conference in Brussels had been held thanks to support from French President Francois Hollande, resulting in significant funds for the flooded areas.

Serbia is dedicated to peace and stability in the region, which is why it is active in the talks with Pristina, Nikolic remarked.

"We are dedicated to ensuring a normal life for the people in the province, but we cannot make any moves towards recognising the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo," he underscored.

He pointed out the so called Great Albania project to the French prime minister, adding that the increasing frequency of Albanian provocations in the region could turn into a problem of larger scale, which even the EU would not be able to solve.

Valls stated he was...