Belgrade: The EU has recommended Serbia’s Jat Airways should be sold to a European company, Velimir Ilic said.
The infrastructure minister in Kostunica government said that the EU has recommended his ministry regarding the planned Jat Airways privatization.
According to Iliac, the Open Skies Agreement is the reason for this. The Agreement would be joined by Serbia’s carrier this year and, applies to European companies only.

Ilic said, “He will forward the recommendation to the cabinet.”

“Far be it from us to listen to such EU recommendations. Well, we can’t very well embarrass ourselves organizing international tenders,” he said.

He wondered, “How to call an international tender if some participants are eliminated in advance.”

In the economic field, the EU recommendation is viewed as an attempt to remove Russia’s Aeroflot from the race to buy Jat Airways.

in case, Jat Airways is sold to the Russians, the risk is being shut out of the lucrative agreement.