Austria Development Agency helps Serbia; FM: Stupid to say we turn to China

NEWS 28.05.202016:06
TANJUG/ANDRIJA VUKELIĆ

Alexander Schellenberg, the Austrian Minister in charge of Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, and Karoline Edtstadler, Minister for the European Union, delivered on Thursday to Serbia's Red Cross Vienna's Development Agency aid, the Beta news agency reported.

Schellenberg said that Austria and Serbia showed their friendship not only in good but in bad times as well.

„Solidarity is an investment in a common future. With that said, not only Austria but the whole EU invested 3.3. billion Euro in aid to the Western Balkans,“ he added.

Edtstadler recalled that Austria had close relations with the Western Balkans countries traditionally, and that was important they together with the EU were included in the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, who witnessed the aid delivery together with Jadranka Joksimovic, Minister of European Integration, said Austria was a valuable partner and one of the largest investor in Serbia.“It’s stupid and a lie to say that Serbia is turning to China. Beijing sent aid to over 100 countries and helped us when no one else could. Serbia’s path is clear, it’s to the EU, while China is a friend, as are many other states are,“ Dacic said.

Joksimovic added that the EU aid was visible in Serbia and that people knew who helped the country and that the insistence on China’s assistance was „an outdated question.“

„The EU is Serbia’s strategic and constant, not an ad hoc partner, but we appreciate the help by others as well,“ Joksimovic said.