Norway: Nordic model possible in Balkans

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Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said that Belgrade and Pristina would greatly benefit from the normalisation of relations because the current situation created the instability and regressed both counties.

Speaking to the Belgrade-based Politika daily, Solberg said that Nordic countries were “focused on how to improve the life of our nations.”

“That was a recipe for Nordic cooperation, and I think it would also work for the Balkans,” Norwegian Prime Minister said ahead of her official visit to Serbia on Monday.

She said that the Nordic cooperation started “with the establishment of the common job market, while at the same time we avoided the so-called high politics and past conflicts in the long run.”

Solberg added she expected a sustainable solution for Kosovo that “would provide a better living standard and possibilities for citizens of  both Kosovo and Serbia.”

She added that the undertaken obligations should be honoured, but that Belgrade and Pristina differently understood some of them.

That is why, she believes, it is essential to continue the dialogue under the European Union auspices.

Solberg also said that Norway would continue to help Serbia in improving its social and economic situation, especially in the poorer parts of the country, as well as in the process of digitalisation and fight against the grey economy.