First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic talked today in Helsinki with Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini.

Dacic, who is visiting Finland as OSCE Chairman-in-Office to attend the event to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, thanked his Finnish colleague for the assistance in organizing the event, co-hosted by the Serbian OSCE Chairmanship and the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was today jointly opened by OSCE CiO Dacic and FM Soini.

Minister Soini expressed his satisfaction with the cooperation with Serbia and stated that Finland would continue to actively support Serbia’s European integration.

We appreciate the support of Finland, said Minister Dacic, adding that Serbia expects to receive further support in the negotiations on individual chapters, through expert and advisory assistance, sharing of experience in the energy sector, as well as in education system reform. The possibility of implementing the TWINNING and TAIEX Projects was discussed, particularly in rural development, reforms in the field of home affairs and the overall institution capacity building.

The Ministers agreed on the assessment that Serbia and Finland had good relations, which were constantly on the rise owing to a developed political dialogue. It was concluded that there was a mutual interest in the promotion of economic cooperation.