ALWAYS TRULY TOGETHER

It is often said that the strongest friendships are forged during tough times. And sometimes, as in the case of Italy and Serbia, they are the result of mutual, long-standing devotion to cooperation at the bilateral level and within the European framework

Serbia sent seven aircraft to Italy this April, carrying tons capacity for reform. Now the same adherence as shown on the of medical donations to help the country confront the financial side of the reforms is needed on the fronts of judicial worst moments of the coronavirus crisis. In August, when reform, media freedom and other structural issues. Serbia suddenly fell into an unexpected second wave of In terms of economics, Italy is one of Serbia’s most impor the pandemic, Italian medical experts paid a visit to Serbia to tant trade partner, with a strong commitment to the Serbian share their invaluable knowledge on how to combat the virus. market. After the sudden collapse of the trade exchange, This is how, in just two sentences, the strength of the Serbiandue to the global upheaval caused by the pandemic, business Italian friendship can be summarised. As Italian Ambassador to leaders from the two countries, supported by their associa Serbia Carlo Lo Cascio spelled out nicely: tions, restored their relations. Although “the history of our relationship is really Italy is among the most circumstances are still challenging, many a meeting of close neighbours who help each other, in both good times and bad”. active promoters of Serbia’s Italian companies are fully back in busi ness to Serbia.

Undeniably, this demonstration of accession to the European Indeed, one of the largest business profound connectedness does not come as a surprise. The history of excellent Union. Italian support to events that was awaited by both sides– the Novi Sad International Agriculture bilateral relationships between the two the country's EU accession Fair 2020 – had to be cancelled due to the countries just commemorated almost a century and a half. The strength of these ties was re process thus remains one of the key aspects of pandemic. Italy was the Partner Country of this fair in 2019, and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) organised an official collec cently demonstrated with the visits of bilateral relations tive Italian exhibit in which 28 companies Italian Minister for European Integration from the agrarian sector, as well as the Vincenzo Amendola, at the end of 2019, and Italian Minister two centres for promotion from Italy, presented their products of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio, in early 2020. Both of these and services. Finally, the strength of the partnership between high-level visits were focused of Italian support for Serbia’s the two countries could also be evaluated through the lens EU accession process. of previous developments. For example, it was the Italian

In that respect, there are great expectations that the new side that shifted the discussion on digital transformation Serbian government will elevate the negotiation process a in Serbia, and generously shared its own experience, long step up, by advancing – albeit at a faster pace - along the lines before digital forms of working became a must during the of outgoing government, which demonstrated a considerable COVID-19 pandemic.