Vucic and Mirziyoyev: Serbia-Uzbekistan relations elevated to strategic partnership

Presidents of Serbia and Uzbekistan Aleksandar Vucic and Shavkat Mirziyoyev today signed a Joint Statement between Serbia and Uzbekistan on the establishment of a strategic partnership. Vucic also presented President Mirziyoyev, who is paying his first official visit to Belgrade, with Serbia’s highest state decoration, the Order of the Republic of Serbia on a Collar.

Presenting the decoration to his distinguished guest, Vucic said that the act was living proof that friendship and trust between peoples were values that transcend time and distance, adding that Uzbekistan and Serbia, though thousands of kilometers apart, were close in their spirit of hospitality, honor and mutual respect, and were writing a new page in their shared history.

He said it was an honor to present Shavkat Mirziyoyev with the Republic of Serbia’s highest state decoration for his exceptional contribution to the development of friendly relations between the two countries.

“Relations between Serbia and Uzbekistan are at the highest level in their modern history, and your personal attitude toward Serbia has made a particularly important contribution, as you have consistently advocated the development of partnership and friendly relations, especially following our meeting in Tashkent last year. Your reciprocal visit confirms the strong closeness we have built and demonstrates our desire to advance our relations in politics, the economy, culture and every other area of mutual interest,” Vucic said.

He added that Serbia greatly appreciated President Mirziyoyev’s independent, responsible and wise policy and the manner in which he was leading Uzbekistan at a time of global challenges.

“In you, we see a true friend of Serbia and a man with whom we can build a long-term partnership based on mutual respect,” the Serbian President told his guest.

He said that the decoration he was presenting was a symbol of friendship and an expression of deep respect and heartfelt gratitude for everything Mirziyoyev had done to strengthen relations between the two countries.

“You are one of the wisest, most experienced and most energetic people, and I admire the way you lead your country—with so much love, dedication, energy and enthusiasm. We must strengthen and preserve our friendship. Thanks to you, we have built it,” Vucic said.

Mirziyoyev stressed that the first visit by an Uzbek president to Serbia marked the beginning of a strong partnership between the two countries.

He said he was honored to receive the high state decoration and thanked the Serbian President, both personally and on behalf of the multinational people of Uzbekistan, for the decision to confer it upon him.

“Everything you said today confirms that we are brotherly countries, and we will continue implementing all the agreements reached so far. Through these agreements, we have established a solid foundation for the further development of our relations, while this order is a symbol of the Serbian people’s deep respect for Uzbekistan,” Mirziyoyev stressed.

He emphasized that the first visit by the head of the Uzbek state to Serbia was opening a new chapter in bilateral cooperation.

“Today, we made a historic decision to establish a strategic partnership, which once again confirms that this is a historic visit. This is not merely a new status, but a conscious choice in favor of trust and mutual respect. Our task is to give this partnership concrete substance through what we discussed today—new projects, investments, increased trade and greater prosperity,” the President of Uzbekistan explained.

He particularly highlighted the personal contribution of the Serbian President, saying that only a true friend who genuinely wanted cooperation could say what Vucic had said about the role of the president and the new Uzbekistan.

“Rest assured that we will do everything to develop our partnership. Your political will and attention toward Uzbekistan—which our entire delegation has felt since arriving—as well as your openness to dialogue, have enabled us to establish a solid foundation for cooperation in a short period and elevate our cooperation to the level of a strategic partnership. This is the beginning of a strong and mutually beneficial partnership,” Mirziyoyev stressed.

Serbia and Uzbekistan also exchanged 20 bilateral documents today covering a range of areas, including information technology, telecommunications, customs matters, renewable energy and green technologies, as well as the establishment of a working group on possible negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement.

The signed agreements also cover culture, tourism, agriculture and rural development, transport and infrastructure, labor and occupational safety, social protection, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, environmental protection, foreign policy and economic diplomacy.