Djuric: Grateful to Brazil for its consistent support for Serbia's territorial integrity; Vieira: Our countries are bound by deep-rooted friendship

Marko Djuric today expressed Serbia's gratitude to Brazil for its consistent support for Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as for its backing on other issues of national importance. Brazil's Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, said that Brazil and Serbia are united by a deep-rooted friendship spanning decades.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Brazilian counterpart, Djuric said the two sides had reached a high degree of agreement on a number of international issues, adding that Serbia strongly supports Brazil's efforts to preserve peace and promote cooperation among international actors on the basis of equality.

"We are grateful to Brazil for its consistent support for Serbia in international organizations, for its unwavering support for our territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as on other issues of national importance. You can always count on our loyal, steadfast, and consistent support on matters that are important to Brazil. Serbia is a sincere, reliable, and steadfast friend in the international arena," Djuric said.

He added that both countries share a desire to further enrich their friendly relations through enhanced economic, cultural, and political cooperation.

"We reaffirmed our readiness to expand the bilateral legal framework in order to encourage greater cooperation among investors. Serbia is a country of opportunities, and when it comes to cooperation between Europe and Latin America, it occupies a unique position in Southeast Europe, pursuing an independent foreign policy that enables it to maintain free trade agreements with countries to the east, west, north, and south. With talented people on both sides, I am convinced that cooperation between Serbia and Brazil will benefit both nations," Djuric said.

The Serbian foreign minister thanked his counterpart for expressing readiness to visit Serbia, saying he was convinced that such a visit would make a significant contribution to the further development of bilateral relations.

"I would like to convey the greetings of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, to the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and to invite him to visit Serbia. When the President of Brazil comes to our country, he will receive a warmer welcome and stronger emotions than anywhere else on our continent," Djuric said.

He also noted that the talks in Brasília covered opportunities to strengthen scientific, educational, and cultural cooperation, adding that there is interest in expanding collaboration between the two countries' civil aviation authorities and aircraft manufacturers. In that context, he pointed out that Air Serbia is the only European airline operating direct flights to the United States, Russia, and China.

Djuric said it was a great honor to be the first Serbian foreign minister to visit Brazil in more than 14 years. He also congratulated the Brazilian people and leadership on the country's outstanding sporting achievements and the success of its national football team at the World Cup.

"Beyond sports, under President Lula, Brazil has become a leader on many global issues. You have every reason to be proud of your successful leadership of COP30 last year, which produced important results and an approach to international relations that is complementary to our own. This means that the international community has in Brazil's leadership a strong supporter of multilateralism, the UN Charter, and the universal values that Serbia also upholds," Djuric said.

Vieira: Our Countries Share a Deep-Rooted Friendship

Minister Vieira recalled that this was the first official visit by a Serbian foreign minister to Brazil since 2012.

"Throughout those years, we did not grow apart. On the contrary, our contacts remained frequent and at a high level," Vieira said.

In that context, he referred to meetings between the Secretary-General of Brazil's Foreign Ministry and Djuric on the sidelines of international gatherings.

"Belgrade and Serbia share a deeply rooted friendship with Brazil that dates back to the era of Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia was the first country to open a diplomatic mission in Brasília in 1965," Vieira recalled.

He congratulated Serbia on hosting Expo 2027, adding that Minister Djuric had briefed him on the latest preparations.

Vieira noted that Brazil had been invited to participate and would assess the possibilities for doing so.

He said the ministers had discussed bilateral cooperation, with particular emphasis on trade, investment, defense, and aviation.

"On the economic front, we agreed that there is considerable untapped potential. The presence of Brazilian companies in Serbia continues to grow. Total bilateral trade has reached USD 126 million, representing a 43 percent increase compared to last year," the Brazilian foreign minister said.

He added that both sides agreed there is ample room to further expand economic cooperation.

"The Serbian market can serve as a privileged platform for Brazilian companies seeking access to the Balkan region," Vieira explained.

He emphasized that Brazil is an important investor in Serbia, recalling that Galenika was the first major Brazilian investment in the country.

Vieira also expressed satisfaction that Galenika had expanded into the Slovenian market through the acquisition of Sanolabor.

He pointed to opportunities for expanding cooperation in the aviation sector, noting that Embraer is ready to deepen its cooperation with Serbia.

Vieira thanked Serbia for supporting Brazil's candidate for the International Court of Justice in the vote held in New York City.

He added that Djuric's visit had also provided an opportunity to discuss multilateral issues, including the election of the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, noting that he had presented the candidacy of Brazil's nominee.

"This visit marks the beginning of a new personal relationship that will further strengthen the ties between our two countries," Vieira concluded.