Vienna  - Austrian President Heinz Fischer Tuesday affirmed his country's support for Serbia's efforts to forge closer relations with the European Union.

He was speaking during a visit by Serbian President Boris Tadic to Vienna which came shortly after France and Germany signalled to Turkey and seven Western Balkan nations in late March that there would be no further enlargement unless the Lisbon Treaty is enacted.

"We stick to our aim of bringing you and your country closer to the EU," Fischer told Tadic.

The implementation of Serbia's Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU has been put on ice as the Netherlands and others first want Serbian war crime suspect General Radko Mladic to be extradited to the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague.

Austria considers Serbia's cooperation with the tribunal to be good enough to implement the agreement, which is usually a first step towards joining the EU.

Companies from Austria form the largest group of European Union investors in Serbia, and Austrian banks control a third of the country's banking sector.(dpa)