Protocol signed on cooperation between Serbia and German province of Baden-Virtemberg

Government of Serbia and German province of Baden-Virtemberg signed the Protocol on cooperation in field of security, economy, education, tourism and culture on Friday (July 17, 2009).

The Protocol was signed by Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister for European Integrations, Božidar Đelić, and the Federal Minister for European Issues of the province of Baden-Virtemberg, Volfgang Rajnhart. Đelić said at the press conference that Serbia wanted to establish close cooperation with that German province in field of security, fight against crime and corruption. As he explained, cooperation will also be focused on EU's Danubian strategy, which has been initiated by Baden-Virtemberg.

- Serbia is going to give its contribution to design of that strategy, which is expected to be adopted when Hungary starts presiding over European Union, in the first half of year 2011 - said Đelić. According to his words, it is expected that the State Secretary for Science of that province will visit Serbia at the end of September.

Đelić said that export and import between Serbia Baden-Virtemberg had been increased by 40% in 2008.

- Serbia imported goods worth 150m EUR and exported 100m EUR worth of goods, which shows that economic cooperation is bidirectional - said Đelić.

The Prime Minister of the province of Baden-Virtemberg, Ginter Etinger, said that he expected that both governments would make sure that concrete results of that cooperation became visible in the following period. The first meeting of the joint commission for cooperation between Serbia and German province of Baden-Virtemberg was held on Friday.

Vlada Republike Srbije

province of Baden Virtemberg

Božidar Đelić

Volfgang Rajnhart

Federal Ministry of Germany

Danubian Strategy of European Union

Ginter Etinger

Protocol on cooperation between Serbia and Baden Virtemberg