Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Ivan Mrkic said today that Serbia and Romania had no open issues in bilateral relations and that official Bucharest unequivocally supported Serbia on its path towards the EU.
"Romania's position will be definite that Serbia should become an EU member, and that at the end of June it should get a date for the start of accession negotiations," said Mrkic after a meeting with the Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean.

Mrkic recalled that Romania was one of those countries that supported Serbia when it came to the non-recognition of Kosovo's independence. Romania is one of the five EU member states which have not recognized Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence.
"We have expressed gratitude for such a position, and we particularly express our respect for Romania's firm stand that Serbia should get a date for the opening of talks with the EU," Mrkic pointed out.

Earlier at a joint press conference with Mrkic, Corlatean said that Romania supported that Serbia should get a firm date for the start of negotiations, in June.
"Today I can say with certainty that Serbia will become a member of the EU, but the path it has to thread is very complex and with lots of obstacles," he said, adding that he suggested Romania make available to Serbia all the expertise on the accession issue.
Minister Mrkic said at the press conference that he wanted to inform the Romanian friends on the process of Belgrade –Pristina dialogue.

"And all our explanations were understood," said Mrkić.
Corlatean added that Romania, together with its European partners, welcomed the entire process, the courage and the political will to reach such an agreement.
"According to the general opinion prevailing in Europe, this agreement paves the way for Serbia's aspirations for accelerated EU accession," said the Romanian Minister.

Mrkic stressed that he and Corlatean had discussed all items on the agenda concerning bilateral relations and jointly agreed that the two countries had practically no open issues between them and that they cooperated especially in the economic field.
Mrkic recalled that the two countries had maintained diplomatic relations for 130 years that they had always been allies and friends, and that today they aspired to the same political futures.

"Our relations are such that they have the best possible perspective," he said.
Recalling that Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta already visited Belgrade, Serbian Foreign Minister announced that Prime Minister Ivica Dacic would visit Romania in two weeks time. "We have many plans and projects that are already underway or that we plan to realize in the near future, and in this sense a meeting of the Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation in Belgrade in June, is very important," he said.

Mrkic added that Serbia and Romania would fully cooperate in the framework of the Danube strategy, as well and announced that he would come back to Bucharest in October.
Romanian Minister recalled that Serbia was the main trading partner of his country in the Western Balkans, as regards economy.

New transnational projects within the Danube region were also discussed at today's meeting.
One of the topics was national minorities.
"Corlatean is absolutely right when he says that the national minorities are a bridge of friendship and cooperation which characterizes our two countries," said Serbian Foreign Minister.

He emphasized that Serbia was undertaking everything in its power to provide that all national minorities living in it enjoy all rights and freedoms and that it would continue with measures which relax and reinforce their position.
"We talked about how to improve their rights and freedoms. Our government has already taken certain measures and intends to continue along that path," concluded Mrkic.
Corlatean said that, as regards national minorities, Romania relied on European standards.
"In this regard the Copenhagen criteria should be applied in Serbia. According to these criteria, access to education and religious services is a fundamental right that should be respected in any state," he said and thanked Mrkic for his engagement that these rights be respected also when the Romanians in Eastern Serbia are concerned.
During the visit, Minister Mrkic met with President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament Veleriu Zgonea.