Giuseppe Manzo

BELGRADE - Minister without portfolio responsible for European integration Jadranka Joksimovic presented on Thursday the Serbian government's priorities in the overall reform process to the delegation of the Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the Union (COELA).

BELGRADE - The Serbian Ministry of Justice has sent the European Commission the first draft action plan for the talks on Chapter 23 of the Accession Talks, which refers to the judiciary, battler against corruption and basic rights, Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic said on Thursday.

Ambassador: Italy supports opening of chapters

BELGRADE -- Italy, which holds the EU presidency, is ready to engage to make it possible for Serbia to open EU membership negotiation chapters by the end of the year.

However, this mostly depends on Serbia itself, Italian Ambassador to Serbia Giuseppe Manzo told Tanjug on Tuesday.

BELGRADE - The Italian government has exempted Serbia from the EUR 500,000 fee for the exhibition pavilion at the Milan Expo 2015.

Italian Ambassador to Serbia Giuseppe Manzo on Tuesday informed Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Rasim Ljajic, who is also minister of trade, tourism and telecommunications, of Rome's decision, said a statement from Ljajic's ministry.

BELGRADE - Serbia's Minister Without Portfolio in charge of EU integration Jadranka Joksimovic said on Friday Italy was a partner to Serbia and the Western Balkans in the EU enlargement process.

Italy is one of the carriers of the EU enlargement policy, which is very important to Serbia, she said at the Italian embassy in Belgrade.

BELGRADE - A concert entitled Concert for Europe has been held at the residence of the Italian ambassador to Serbia to mark the start of Italy's presidency of the EU, and Ambassador Giuseppe Manzo said at the event Serbia had always been a part of Europe and was drawing ever closer to the start of the accession talks, with Italy's support.

BELGRADE - Italy, as the next country to take over the Presidency of the EU, will bring the members of the Enlargement Council from all 28 countries of the EU to Belgrade this autumn, for the first time in the EU's history, Italian Ambassador to Serbia Giuseppe Manzo has said.

BELGRADE - Ivica Dacic, Serbia's first deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, and Italian Ambassador to Serbia Giuseppe Manzo stated on Thursday that the relations between the two countries are at a very high level, and expressed satisfaction with a positive trend in the development of the economic relations.

BELGRADE - Italian Ambassador Giuseppe Manzo has said at a reception marking an Italian national holiday that Italy will work during its presidency of the EU so Serbia could become the 29th member of the EU as soon as possible.

Italy and Serbia should focus on culture and agriculture in their mutual relations, as they can achieve a lot together there, he told reporters on Monday.

Ambassadors tour town devastated by flood, express support

OBRENOVAC -- Some 70 ambassadors and diplomatic corps representatives toured the flooded Obrenovac with reporters and Serbian officials on Monday.