Djuric: Serbia enjoys firm and concrete Chinese support at the UN on the Kosovo and Metohija issue

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Marko Djuric met today in New York with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, after which he stated that Serbia enjoys principled, firm, and concrete, almost daily support from China in the United Nations.

“A large part of our discussion concerned mutual support within international organizations. Serbia enjoys principled, firm, and concrete, almost daily support from China in the United Nations when it comes to Kosovo and Metohija, territorial integrity, and sovereignty,” Djuric said.

He added that the talks also focused on strengthening cooperation between the Chinese and Serbian diplomatic services in the context of implementing the agreements reached during the historic visit of President Aleksandar Vucic to China.

“Thus, the implementation of 35 documents — two joint statements, 23 intergovernmental agreements, and 10 cooperation documents in the field of media — formed part of our discussions,” Djuric stated.

The minister also noted that the Chinese side expressed appreciation for his participation in yesterday’s thematic session of the United Nations Security Council, which was dedicated to the role of the United Nations, the UN Charter, and international law.

“The Chinese delegation assessed the contribution of the Serbian delegation as significant, particularly the fact that Serbia firmly and consistently stands by the principles of the inviolability of borders, respect for the UN Charter, peaceful resolution of disputes, and non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states,” Djuric emphasized.

He added that part of the discussions also concerned economic cooperation, which opens opportunities for future generations in Serbia, both through the Free Trade Agreement — which Serbia is the only country in Europe to have with China — and through infrastructure development.

Political cooperation between the two countries was also among the topics discussed, Djuric said, adding that Minister Wang Yi expressed appreciation for the friendship demonstrated by the people and Government of Serbia, and particularly for the efforts of President Vucic, who, as the central political figure in Serbia, made a significant contribution to Serbia becoming China’s strategic partner in this part of Europe and achieving remarkable economic results in recent years.

“It was a comprehensive and well-rounded discussion, fully complementary to what our delegation achieved in China during the historic state visit of President Vucic and the visit of SNS President Milos Vucevic. This represented the third segment of the week of strategic cooperation between Serbia and China,” Djuric concluded.