Djuric: I informed Herzog about the struggle of our people in Kosovo against discrimination

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric stated that, during today’s meeting, he informed Israeli President Isaac Herzog about the position and struggle of the Serbian people in Kosovo against discrimination, for equality, and for a life worthy of human dignity.

“We discussed extensively what we can do now that we have elevated relations with Israel to the level of a strategic partnership and raised mutual trust to a new level. We also talked about what we can achieve in that context within the triangle of Serbia, Israel, and the United States. Israel has a strategic partnership with the United States. President Herzog’s brother, Mike Herzog, who is also a friend I know well, served in Washington as Israel’s ambassador at the same time as I did. There is much that we can accomplish together,” Djuric said.

He emphasized that the visit to Israel had been very successful and had elevated bilateral relations between the two countries to a higher level.

“President Herzog asked me to convey an invitation to President Aleksandar Vučić to visit Israel. I have seen firsthand that Serbia, and President Vučić personally, enjoy an almost cult status here. Not only because of current developments and the fact that we share mutual understanding in difficult times, but also because this country remembers what happened during World War II, when Serbs protected and saved Jews, when we suffered together because both were regarded as inferior peoples. They also remember earlier centuries, when the environment in which Serbs lived was always fraternally open to coexistence with the Jewish people. There was not a single meeting that was not made available to the Serbian delegation—from meetings with the Prime Minister and President, to a strategic dialogue with the Foreign Minister, as well as meetings with the Speaker of Parliament and the Chair of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee,” Djuric stressed.

As he noted, a Serbian-Israeli Chamber of Commerce will be established this evening in Jerusalem, bringing together Israeli companies operating in Serbia and Serbian companies doing business in Israel.

“All of these are major and important steps in strengthening our position here, and there is no need to explain how important Israel is globally and how significant a link it represents in our relations with the United States and many other countries,” Djuric stated.

According to him, he made an effort to use the fact that he spent part of his life and childhood in Israel to highlight the historical closeness between the two nations.

“We truly feel at home here—Serbia is respected and appreciated, as if we were among our own,” Djuric concluded.