Serbian foreign minister: Closing border harms Greece’s interests

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic on Monday described a decision by the Greek government to close the country's border with Serbia as "unfortunate."

In comments to Serbian state television, Dacic said the move, apart from being "bad" for Serbia, "chiefly harms the interests of Greece itself." He expressed the hope that the Greek government would soon revise its decision, adding that he believed that Greece's next assessment of Serbia's epidemoliogical profile would lead to a decision to reopen the border. 

Tourist operators in Serbia have also expressed frustration over the decision, describing it as unfair, and calling on tourist organizations in Greece to react.  

Greece on Sunday announced the ban on the entry of Serb tourists, from Monday through July 15, because of an increase in coronavirus infections in Serbia.  

The Serbian government had announced emergency measures for the capital, Belgrade, last Friday due to a spike in new Covid-19 cases.