In a country such as Serbia , the European integration process is coupled with the wider transition process. Therefore, it is important that Serbia has conceived its own national strategies such as the Poverty reduction which aims at an overall socio-economic improvement of the country. The measures foreseen by the Poverty Reduction Strategy and the measures of the European Partnership should go hand-in-hand achieve their medium-term goal of bringing back Serbia to the European mainstream.

One should however not forget that the main actors in this process are the Serbian people, the civil society, the government and the local authorities who should take the ownership of the process and demonstrate their will to make Serbia a contributor to regional and European stability, and a better place to live.

Olli Rehn
EU Commissioner for Enlargement