World Bank Country Director for the Western Balkans Ellen Goldstein on Friday praised Serbia’s reforms, Tanjug has reported.
She “expressed the confidence the country’s economic growth would accelerate further.”
The regional cooperation pursued by Serbia is particularly contributing to this, as confirmed by the Serbian-Albanian business forum in the southern Serbian town of Nis on Friday, also attended by prime minister Aleksandar Vucic and Edi Rama, Goldstein told Tanjug.
The rising employment rate is encouraging – many citizens have not been able to feel that yet, but the trend exists, the country is committed to a reform course and I think growth will accelerate, Goldstein said.
She said Vucic and Rama had a very powerful vision of regional cooperation, adding that she hoped it would be embraced by entrepreneurs and help business ties, growth and job creation.
In a statement for Serbia’s state-owned broadcaster RTS, Goldstein said the World Bank recognizes “exceptional efforts, above all by Serbia and Albania, toward developing better cooperation among the Western Balkans countries.”
She at the same time noted that those countries are not sufficiently integrated in regional, or global markets, and that their trade exchange is below their potential.
Speaking at the opening of the gathering in Nis, Vucic said that this World Bank official was “his, and Rama’s boss.”
“She is our boss, as she orders, we obey,” said the Serbian prime minister.
Rama for his part thanked Goldstein for “aiding the economic cooperation between the two countries.”
