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Serbia: Macron in Belgrade to strengthen relationship

Economy, EU, and Kosovo are the key issues in talks

15 July, 12:52
(ANSA) - BELGRADE, July 15 - French President Emmanuel Macron will arrive in Belgrade this afternoon for a two-day visit which the local leadership is awaiting with huge interest. Indeed, the Serbian government has the goal of strengthening the country's economic and political relationship with France. Macron is the first French president to visit Belgrade over the past 18 years. The last one to visit Serbia was Jacques Chirac in December 2001, in conjunction with the 180th anniversary of the opening of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Macron's visit, which had been scheduled for last December and was then postponed due to the yellow vest crisis, reveals, according to some observers, France's desire to strengthen its influence in the Balkan region. The key issues in Macron's talks with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic will be the strengthening of trade, the prospect of Serbia's integration into the EU and the Kosovo issue, in an attempt to favor the resumption of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. The dialogue stopped last November when the Kosovo leadership increased by 100% the tariffs on imports from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Belgrade demands the abolition of these tariffs as a condition for resuming talks.(ANSA).

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