Landlocked countries

"Belgrade is Europe's gate toward Balkans"

BELGRADE -- Viktor Orban said as he met with Tomislav Nikolić that "the EU cannot survive without Serbia" - because Belgrade is "the gate of Europe toward the Balkans."

VIENNA - Austria's Defence Minister Gerald Klug said after a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Bratislav Gasic on Friday that Serbia was making excellent progress towards EU membership, adding that Austria would continue to support Belgrade.

The talks between Belgrade and Pristina are an important step towards the EU, he told a joint news conference in Vienna.

Austrian officials invited to WW1 centenary event

BELGRADE -- President Tomislav Nikolić says bilateral relations between Serbia and Austria are "very good," while they are "strongly connected" by Austrian investments.

BELGRADE - Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said on Thursday, during talks with Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann, that bilateral relations are very good, and noted that the two countries are strongly connected by Austrian investments in Serbia on the one hand and a large number of Serbs living in Austria on the other.

Austria "to continue supporting Serbia's EU path"

BELGRADE -- Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann stated on Thursday that his country "will remain a strong and reliable partner to Serbia on its European Union path."

Speaking in Belgrade, he added that the support to Western Balkan countries is "an integral part of Austria's policy."

BELGRADE - Serbia's Minister of Youth and Sports Vanja Udovicic met with Hungarian Secretary of State for Sports Istvan Simicsko in Budapest Wednesday to discuss improving cooperation between the two countries and the Hungarian experience in ownership transformation in sports.

Minister Udovicic said that a public debate on amendments to the Law on Sports would begin soon.

BELGRADE - It is good that Serbia's relations with Germany have improved, but we have not heard Berlin's views on a number of issues of interest to the Serbian public, Democratic Party (DS) member of the Serbian parliament Borislav Stefanovic has told reporters.

Serbia "has friends everywhere, doesn't interfere"

BELGRADE -- Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić stated on Thursday that his country has friends everywhere in the world - "in the east, west, north and south alike."

BELGRADE - Presidents of Serbia and Belarus Tomislav Nikolic and Alexander Lukashenko underlined in a joint statement on Thursday commitment to the norms of international law and the UN principles and goals, pointing to a positive trend in overall cooperation between the two countries.

BELGRADE - Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko laid a wreath at the Monument to the Unknown Hero in Avala near Belgrade late on Wednesday.

Accompanied by the intonation of the national anthems of Belarus and Serbia, Lukashenko honoured the Serb soldiers who did not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for freedom and a peaceful and dignified future for the coming generations.