Serbia's government has confirmed that Finance Minister Dusan Vujovic submitted a letter of resignation on May 7, citing personal reasons.
The statement, issued on May 8, came a day after the Serbian daily Blic and N1 television reported that Vujovic had written a letter to Prime Minister Ana Brnabic detailing his reasons for leaving.
N1 said Brnabic would tell parliament later on May 8 about the resignation.
“Four years are quite enough for a man to prove himself in a public position,” Vujovic wrote in his letter to Brnabic, N1 reported.
An International Monetary Fund mission arrived in Belgrade on May 7 to start talks on a new support program for the Balkan country to pursue reforms and boost economic growth.
A former World Bank economist in Ukraine and at its headquarters in Washington, Vujovic was appointed finance minister in 2014 and had been involved in final negotiations on Serbia's 3-year loan deal with the IMF.
There has been talk about a possible reshuffle of Brnabic’s cabinet for some time. Brnabic has said that “everyone who is unable to give all of themselves” will be dismissed from her cabinet.
President Aleksandar Vucic has said that the government would be reshuffled, but that the priority at present is a “solution to the Kosovo knot,” referring to Serbia's efforts to mend ties with Kosovo as part of its bid to join the European Union.