Djuric thanks officials from Somalia, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana and Cameroon for supporting Serbia’s territorial integrity

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric met in Belgrade with officials from Somalia, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana and Cameroon, thanking them for their support for Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Djuric also discussed the advancement of bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields with his counterparts, who are in Belgrade for the commemorative meeting marking the 65th anniversary of the First Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Welcoming his Somali counterpart, Abdisalam Abdi Ali, Minister Djuric stressed that the presence of Somalia’s delegation at the highest level represented a strong confirmation of the friendship between the two countries, as well as of Belgrade’s enduring symbolic importance as a place for meetings, dialogue and connections between states, according to a statement from the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two officials also reflected on their meetings in Belgrade and New York over the past year, noting that the increasingly intensive political dialogue provided a sound basis for further advancing bilateral relations.

Djuric recalled that last year, when the two countries marked 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Serbia had the pleasure of hosting Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, assessing that the opening of the Somali Embassy in Belgrade had provided additional impetus to political dialogue and the overall relations between the two countries.

Minister Djuric particularly thanked Somalia for its consistent respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia.

Speaking about economic relations, Djuric assessed that there was considerable scope for the good political relations between Serbia and Somalia to be accompanied by stronger economic cooperation. He identified the agriculture and food sector and the construction sector as areas with particular potential, while expressing Serbia’s readiness to explore other concrete opportunities with Somali partners for connecting the two countries’ economies.

The Minister also highlighted the importance of cooperation in education, sports and knowledge exchange, expressing particular satisfaction with the strong interest among young people from Somalia in studying in Serbia through the “World in Serbia” program.

Djuric said that young people educated in Serbia represented one of the most valuable bridges of friendship between the two peoples and an important foundation for the future of Serbia-Somalia relations.

Minister Djuric expressed confidence that Somalia would have a notable presence at the Expo 2027 Specialized Exhibition in Belgrade, stressing that the event would provide another opportunity to bring the two countries closer together and showcase Somalia’s potential.

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric also met with Guinea-Bissau’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Communities, Fatoumata Jaú, who is leading her country’s delegation at the High-Level Commemorative Meeting marking the 65th anniversary of the First Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade.

Welcoming his counterpart, Djuric stressed that it was a particular honor and pleasure that, on the occasion of this important anniversary, Belgrade was once again serving as a meeting place for Serbia’s traditional friends from different parts of the world.

Djuric said that there was mutual interest in giving relations between Serbia and Guinea-Bissau new momentum and more substantive content. He recalled that the two countries marked 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations last year, assessing that this significant anniversary provided a strong impetus for their further advancement.

The two officials agreed that the good political relations between Serbia and Guinea-Bissau should be accompanied by a significant improvement in economic cooperation, which currently did not reflect the potential or the quality of relations between the two countries.

In this context, they discussed opportunities for establishing more concrete links between the two economies.

During the meeting, they also agreed to establish a practice of regular bilateral political consultations between the foreign ministries of Serbia and Guinea-Bissau, with the aim of intensifying political dialogue and more effectively following up on agreements concerning cooperation in various fields.

The Serbian Foreign Minister briefed his counterpart on the situation of the Serbian population in Kosovo, pointing to the continued deterioration of their living conditions. Djuric stressed that Serbia remained firmly committed to peace, dialogue and consistent respect for international law and the United Nations Charter.

Particular attention was devoted to cooperation in education. The two officials discussed the possibility of students from Guinea-Bissau coming to Serbia to study under the “World in Serbia” program, with Djuric stressing that Serbia wanted to further strengthen its ties with its traditional friends on the African continent through the education of young people.

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric also met with Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who is in Belgrade as a member of the delegation led by President John Dramani Mahama for the High-Level Commemorative Meeting marking the 65th anniversary of the First Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement.

The two officials reflected on the historic role of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement, including the first President of independent Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, as well as the values and principles upon which the Movement was founded. Djuric stressed that Serbia continued to uphold in its foreign policy the principles of sovereignty, the equality of states, mutual respect and independence in the conduct of foreign policy.

Djuric expressed satisfaction with the intensification of political dialogue between Serbia and Ghana, recalling his official visit to Accra last year, which had provided additional impetus to the development of bilateral relations and opened opportunities for concrete cooperation in numerous fields.

The two officials agreed that the traditionally friendly relations between Serbia and Ghana provided a strong foundation for further strengthening Serbia’s presence and positioning on the African continent, as well as for deepening cooperation with African partners on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests.

Minister Djuric stressed that the strong level of political relations should be accompanied by more robust economic cooperation and closer links between the two countries’ economies. In this context, the need to translate existing potential into concrete projects and new business ties was highlighted.

The two officials also noted that there was scope for further strengthening the legal framework for cooperation between Serbia and Ghana, thereby creating additional institutional prerequisites for developing relations in areas of mutual interest.

They also agreed to intensify cooperation between the two countries’ diplomatic academies through exchanges of experience and expertise and the organization of joint activities. Djuric recalled in this regard that the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs would organize a seminar for young diplomats from Non-Aligned Movement member states in the coming period, stressing that Serbia wanted to continue investing in connecting new generations of diplomats and building long-term partnerships.

The Serbian Foreign Minister took the opportunity to once again thank Ghana for its support for the preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia, stressing that the issue of Kosovo remained one of Serbia’s most important national and state issues. Djuric reiterated that Serbia would continue to protect its interests through diplomatic means while consistently advocating respect for international law and the United Nations Charter.

Minister Djuric welcomed Ghana’s decision to participate in the Expo 2027 Specialized Exhibition in Belgrade, assessing that the event would provide another important opportunity to bring the two countries closer together, showcase their economic potential and establish new contacts.

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric also met today with Cameroon’s Minister of External Relations Lejeune Mbella Mbella, who is in Belgrade as a member of the delegation led by Cameroonian Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute for the commemorative meeting marking the 65th anniversary of the First Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement.

The Serbian Foreign Minister thanked Cameroon for its consistent support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia, stressing that Serbia likewise supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cameroon as a matter of principle.

The two officials agreed that, in the coming period, they should jointly explore and identify new areas of cooperation so that the good political relations between the two countries could be translated into more concrete forms of mutually beneficial partnership.

Particular attention was devoted to cooperation in education, with Minister Djuric presenting the opportunities available to young people from Cameroon through the “World in Serbia” program and emphasizing the importance of education in creating lasting ties between the two countries and peoples.

Minister Djuric expressed satisfaction with Cameroon’s participation in the Expo 2027 Specialized Exhibition in Belgrade, which would provide an additional opportunity to deepen cooperation and strengthen ties between the two countries.