Jovic at the Doha Forum: Both the U.S. and China are important for Serbia

Damjan Jovic, State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, who is participating at the international Doha Forum in Qatar, spoke on a panel dedicated to relations between the United States and China in the context of risks and new opportunities arising from the challenges of the current global order. He emphasized that both of these countries are important for Serbia.

Speaking about the positions of the U.S. and China, Jovic noted that at the global level each has something unique to offer to the rest of the world, particularly when they cooperate well in a certain area, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

Jovic stressed that we all live in a single world that belongs equally to both large and small states.

He also pointed out that Serbia holds an almost unique position in Europe—as an EU candidate country that simultaneously has a strategic partnership with China, traditionally good relations with Russia, but also with Ukraine, a country that was among the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement, and which is currently working on establishing a strategic dialogue with the United States.

Reflecting on Serbia’s position, the State Secretary emphasized that Serbia strives to cooperate with everyone in the world and to develop friendly relations, which reflects its sovereign and independent policy, though this sometimes comes with a price.

The panel also featured Said Khatibzadeh, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran; Hina Khar, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs of Pakistan’s National Assembly; and Mohammed Baharoon, Director of the Public Policy Research Center of the United Arab Emirates.