Serbia’s Premier Says Top Priority Is Fight Against Corruption

Serbia’s top priority is battling crime and corruption to bring the country closer to European Union membership before the next parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said.

The state has already cut corruption and seized more than 300 million euros ($430 million) worth of illegally gained assets since 2008, Cvetkovic said in a speech today marking the government’s third year in power, the longest tenure since 2000 when former leader Slobodan Milosevic was ousted.

The government wants to ensure that Serbia becomes an official candidate for European Union membership by the end of the year and possibly start entry talks, he said. Parliamentary elections are due in mid-2012.

“Serbia has become a pillar in battling crime in the region,” Cvetkovic said in Belgrade. “We continue to work to make Serbia a member of the European family.”

Among the former Yugoslav republics, only Slovenia is in the EU, while Croatia expects to join in 2013.

To contact the reporter on this story: Misha Savic in Belgrade at msavic2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: James M. Gomez at jagomez@bloomberg.net