Nikolić says Serbia has "courageous leadership"

Source: Tanjug

BELGRADE -- President Tomislav Nikolić has said during his meeting with U.S. Ambassador Michael Kirby that Serbia has "brave and courageous leadership."

(Tanjug)

"Through the fight against corruption, introduction of measures for stabilization of economy, solution to the Kosovo and Metohija issue, promotion of Serbia's reputation and establishment of sincere relations in the region, the state has achieved impressive results in a short time," Nikolić said.
This fight is opposed by extremists and the ones who do not have the courage to come to grips with these problems, the president said, adding that even certain members of the government cannot follow the current dynamics which leads to prosperity, the president's press service released.

Ambassador Kirby pointed to the courage of President Nikolić to take the main instead of side roads in the vision of Serbia's progress.

Serbia is an important regional country and we appreciate the progress it has made in promotion of relations with neighbors, Ambassador Kirby underlined.

He expressed expectation that the EU accession talks will kick off in January bearing in mind that the negotiating teams opened the talks on chapters 23 and 24 very successfully and that in spite of the problems Serbia has decided to participate in the local elections in Kosovo-Metohija.

Ambassador Kirby said that he knows that Serbia is facing pressures from all sides, and expressed belief that the U.S. understands these problems.

The European pathway is very important for Serbia, and the country has support for everything it does on this pathway, Kirby underlined, the statement said.

Nikolić expressed his regret on Monday that the upcoming meeting with Croatian President Ivo Josipović will yield no concrete agreement.

"We will meet as it was done by my predecessor that is based on the relations between two presidents rather than with a view to promoting the two countries' relations," Nikolić said in the talks Kirby, the president's press service released.

"I was ready for a concrete agreement, and recently we were surprised that there will be no withdrawal of Croatia's genocide lawsuit," Nikolić said.

Ambassador Kirby stated that the upcoming meeting between President Nikolić and Croatian President Josipović is very positive, the statement reads.

ikolić will confer with Josipović on Wednesday, and the Croatian president will have a ceremonial welcome in from of the Palace of Serbia.