British foreign secretary visits Belgrade

BELGRADE - British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond will visit Belgrade on Thursday to discuss relations with Serbia and other issues with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic.

Hammond said in a phone conversation with Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic on Monday that the UK supported Serbia's EU integration, and he wished Serbia luck during its OSCE chairmanship, according to a release from the Foreign Ministry.

Vucic and Hammond met in London in late October last year, when the British official congratulated Vucic on his success in economic reforms and progress in adopting EU standards.

Hammond stressed at the time that a flexible labour market was important to foreign investors, that getting more foreign investors was crucial to economic growth and that the UK was a good example to follow when it came to foreign investments.

Stebility of the Western Balkans is a priority for the British government, and Serbia should play a key role in the region, he noted.

AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda