First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic said today at the opening session of the 14th Serbian Economic Summit at the Hotel "Metropol Palace" that Serbia, regardless of its level of debt, "is not facing the collapse of the system", but that it would need foreign assistance in order to be able to achieve any substantial economic growth.

After opening the Summit, Dacic told the press that the problem was not the level of debt but that of the gross domestic product, as its growth would automatically mean reduced debt rate. "I do not think that we face the collapse of the system, but the situation is such that the stabilization of the economic situation in the country is the most important task. This implies financial consolidation, on the one hand, and on the other hand, some incentives that would lead to economic recovery. Of course, this is not possible without the financial support from abroad, and that support should be used to stimulate growth", Dacic said.

According to him, the Serbian Government's response to the crisis must not be just a set of economic measures with short-term effect, "More important than the short-term effect is whether we will be able to pass systemic laws that will regulate the key aspects of life", said Dacic.