Serbia asks U.S. to support region financially

BELGRADE - The United States should financially support major infrastructure projects in the region, Serbian officials told U.S. Senator Christopher Murphy during his visit to Belgrade, reads the Friday issue of the Belgrade-based daily Blic.

Chairman of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on European Affairs Murphy visited Belgrade on Wednesday as part of his tour of the Western Balkans.

Among interesting details related to the talks, Blic claims that the Serbian side proposed an initiative that America should launch "a new Marshall plan" at regional level, on the model of the generous financial assistance program dedicated to Europe's recovery after World War II.

The daily notes that the American officials' reply to the Serbian proposal was "give us precise, concrete projects, and then we will discuss what could be done".

The main idea is that America, but also Germany and China, back closer links between the Balkan countries in terms of infrastructure, transportation, for example projects such as a high speed railway from Budapest via Belgrade and Skopje to Thessaloniki, a modern railway to Sarajevo, and highway construction.

According to Blic, the Serbian authorities have concluded that they could hardly expect that big funds could be pumped just into Serbia for development of infrastructure, and that is why the country should work on joint projects with neighbors.

Blic notes that during talks, the American senator looked favorably upon Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Serbia.

According to Blic, the senator said that there was no reason for America to oppose Putin's visit, or good relations between Serbia and Russia as long as Serbia was on the right track toward full EU...