Djuric: It is important to have critical support in the UN General Assembly, where decisions are made about Kosovo

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric emphasized that Serbia’s participation in the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), where it was present as a permanent observer, is of great importance, not only for economic cooperation but also for the protection of national interests.

Djuric stated that Serbia is speaking with a very clear voice in Antigua and Barbuda, where the summit is being held, about respect for the United Nations Charter and the need for all countries, regardless of their size, to be able to freely conduct their internal and foreign policy.

“It is important for us to have critical support from countries in the UN General Assembly, where decisions are made about Kosovo and Metohija and other issues that are important to us,” Djuric explained, adding that Serbia’s comparative advantage lies in its broad network of friendships beyond the European continent.

“There are many countries gathered here that are against war, many countries that support respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, of Serbia, and of all countries in the world. There are many countries here that, like us, think similarly about global challenges and problems,” Djuric noted.

As an important objective of Serbia’s participation in the OAS General Assembly, the Serbian foreign minister pointed to the upcoming specialized exhibition Expo 2027, which will be held in Belgrade.

“We are here to ensure that our Expo 2027 becomes the most successful Expo held so far, with the highest number of participating countries,” Djuric said, adding that he extended invitations on behalf of President Aleksandar Vucic and the entire government to numerous officials to come to Belgrade and take part in the Expo exhibition.

“We want to gather the whole world around the values of cooperation and openness, around ideas that unite us in a difficult time, a time in which the international order sometimes seems to be collapsing all around us. But precisely at such a moment, we firmly stand behind the principles of the UN Charter,” Minister Djuric emphasized.

He said that the summit in Antigua and Barbuda is also an opportunity to discuss economic cooperation, as Serbia has global ambitions in that regard, especially since, as he said, we live in an era in which, thanks to new technologies and services, trade is no longer limited to the immediate region and surroundings.

Djuric pointed out that Serbia achieves billions in trade with countries of North, Central, and South America, primarily in the field of information technology.

“This is one of the places of the future, and Serbia is here because we think and plan long-term,” Djuric said, highlighting the importance of Serbia’s continued high-level presence in the OAS.