Djuric: The most fruitful years of cooperation between Serbia and Slovakia are yet to come

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said at a reception marking Slovakia’s Constitution Day and Armed Forces Day that the most fruitful years of cooperation between the two countries were yet to come, expressing gratitude to Bratislava for its support for Serbia on its path toward the EU and for its understanding of Serbia’s position regarding territorial integrity and sovereignty.

“Our relations have been built layer by layer through friendship and partnership between our peoples, armed forces and states, ties that have been developing for centuries. For our generation, therefore, it is relatively easy to continue building on such a rich legacy. But we are ambitious people. We want to do everything in our power to continue advancing this partnership and take it to an even higher level,” Djuric said, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Serbian Foreign Minister expressed satisfaction that annual bilateral trade exceeded EUR 1 billion, that companies were investing in both countries, and that cooperation in all areas was progressing successfully under the careful leadership of President Aleksandar Vucic, the Serbian Government, President Peter Pellegrini, Prime Minister Robert Fico and, as he described him, his colleague and friend Juraj Blanar, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs.

“He is an outstanding partner, a great friend and a strong advocate of the Slovak-Serbian partnership. We are extremely grateful for your support for Serbia on its path toward the European Union. We are deeply grateful for your support and understanding of Serbia’s position regarding our territorial integrity and sovereignty—an issue that is very close to the hearts of so many Serbs,” Djuric said.

He announced that a joint exhibition would soon be held in Washington, where the embassies of the two countries would present the rich cultural heritage of Slovaks in Serbia to the United States and the wider world.

“That is just one example of what we can do and what we are doing together. I therefore want to take this opportunity to wish you many more successful years of work, to personally thank you and your team, and to express my deep conviction that the most fruitful years of our cooperation are still ahead of us,” Djuric concluded.

The Serbian Foreign Minister also expressed hope that a new Slovak House would soon open in Serbia, serving as an important center of Slovak culture, business and community life in Serbia, while also making a significant contribution to bilateral relations.