Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivan Mrkic attended today the official opening of the "Serbia-Germany Forum" Association in Belgrade. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder attended the opening as a guest of honour.

Schröder pointed out on the occasion that the prospects of Serbia becoming an EU Member State by 2020 were realistic.

"European unification without the Western Balkan countries is incomplete. The launch of the EU negotiations with Serbia was a historic moment, not only for Serbia, but for the whole of Europe as well", Schröder said.

Honorary members of the newly established Forum are First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, Director of "Dr. Zoran Djindjic Foundation" Ruzica Djindjic, foreign policy representative of the German parliamentary faction CDU/CSU Philipp Mißfelder, representative of the Southeast Europe Society Gernot Erler and Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Belgrade, Heinz Wilhelm.