Republics

BELGRADE- Serbian PM Milos Vucevic said on Thursday Serbia expected to embark on strategic dialogue with the US and noted that it was important that the US better heard the Serbian position on Kosovo-Metohija.

BELGRADE - Serbia will continue to pursue an independent and consistent foreign policy, Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Thursday, noting that he expected Cluster 3 in Serbia's EU talks to be opened in January or February.

BELGRADE - Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali said on Monday Belgrade was waiting for an official document on US sanctions on Serbia's majority Russian-owned oil company NIS to arrive and that the government's course of action would be determined afterwards.

Speaking to the RTS, Mali said quick and efficient action would be taken to avert any harm to GDP growth and the economy.

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said on Sunday the Serbian government had set up teams for talks with Russia about a long-term gas deal and about Serbia's majority Russian-owned oil firm NIS, which is set to face US sanctions.

Bulgaria is falling behind the EU average in terms of government expenditure as a percentage of GDP, particularly in the areas of social protection, education, and healthcare. This is highlighted in the country's report on its progress in implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A recent survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in December revealed that 38 percent of Ukrainians are willing to accept territorial concessions in exchange for peace. This marks a noticeable increase compared to previous months, reflecting a shift in public opinion over the course of the past year.

Bulgaria's Ministry of Finance projects a budget deficit of approximately 6.1 billion leva for 2024, equating to 3% of the anticipated GDP. This forecast aligns with the reference value set by the Stability and Growth Pact and is marginally better than the initial estimate of 6.2 billion leva outlined in the annual budget.

BELGRADE - Serbia demonstrated resilience to various challenges in 2024 as well, preserving macroeconomic and financial stability and, by the year's end, its GDP increased by over 18 pct compared to the pre-pandemic level, the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) has said, quoting figures from a flash estimate of 2024 macroeconomic trends published by the national statistical office RZS.

BELGRADE - Serbia registered 11.2 pct more tourist visits in November 2024 relative to the same month of last year and the number of overnight stays was up by 6.1 pct y-o-y, according to figures released by the national statistical office.

Overnight stays by Serbian tourists were up by 0.4 pct y-o-y, while those generated by foreign tourists were up by 11.8 pct y-o-y.

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Milos Vucevic said on Wednesday the standard of living in Serbia was incomparably better than it had been in the past but that the country must continue to work and develop after achieving excellent economic results in 2024.

Vucevic noted that the November 1 railway station tragedy in Novi Sad had left a burden on the nation and caused pain.