Brnabic: Strategic dialogue with the U.S. One of Serbia's most significant achievements in recent decades

Speaker of the Serbian Parliament Ana Brnabic said today that Serbia highly values its strategic relationship with the United States, emphasizing that the launch of a strategic dialogue with Washington represents one of Serbia's most significant achievements in recent decades.

Addressing the international conference "Partners in a Changing World: Central and Eastern Europe, America, Israel and the New Middle East" at the Serbian Parliament, Brnabic also said that Serbia deeply values its friendship and partnership with Israel, stressing that relations between the two countries are founded on a sincere commitment to mutual understanding, particularly in difficult times.

"Serbia deeply values its friendship and partnership with Israel. We also greatly appreciate our strategic relationship with the United States. I am pleased that we are meeting just a few days before the launch of the strategic dialogue between the United States and Serbia, which means a great deal to us and represents one of the most important achievements we have made over the past several decades," Brnabic said at the conference organized by the Congress of Serbian-American Friendship.

She noted that the conference is taking place at a time when the international landscape is changing far more rapidly than anyone could have imagined just a few years ago, with new geopolitical realities emerging and uncertainty becoming a defining feature of international relations.

"In such times, countries naturally seek reliable partners. But reliable partnerships do not emerge overnight. They are not created only when circumstances demand them. They are patiently built over years and decades through dialogue, consistency, mutual respect, and the confidence that even in difficult moments partners will continue to engage with one another sincerely and constructively," Brnabic said.

She added that the value of today's conference lies not only in the important issues it seeks to address, but also in its ability to bring together people who believe that dialogue remains the strongest foundation for lasting cooperation.

"I cannot imagine a more appropriate venue for such a discussion than a parliament. Throughout history, parliaments have been places where societies confront difficult issues through debate rather than confrontation, through dialogue rather than division," Brnabic said.

She further noted that, as institutions of democratic legitimacy, parliaments bear a special responsibility, adding that in today's world parliamentary diplomacy has become much more than a mere complement to traditional diplomacy.

According to Brnabic, parliamentary diplomacy has evolved into an important channel for strengthening trust, fostering dialogue, and building lasting institutional relationships, even when international circumstances become more challenging.

She said it is evident that the world is changing, and that the key question is whether partnerships between states are strong enough to withstand those changes.

"Some partnerships are shaped by geography, others by history. But the strongest partnerships are sustained by the choices we continue to make. I believe that the friendship between Serbia and Israel belongs to that category. It is a relationship that has evolved over many decades, built on mutual respect, shared sorrow, profound suffering, and a deep understanding and sincere appreciation of each other's experiences," Brnabic said.

She recalled visiting Israel last year, where she met with the country's leaders during what she described as a particularly challenging period for Israel and the wider region.

According to Brnabic, the visit provided an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of direct dialogue and to further strengthen the close ties between Israel and Serbia.

"What has remained with me most is the openness, mutual respect, and our shared commitment to further strengthening our partnership. That experience reinforced my conviction that the relationship between Serbia and Israel rests on a genuine willingness to understand one another and to stand by each other in difficult times," Brnabic said.