Consul General Jović: The priorities of the work of the Consulate General are numerous

Consul General of the Republic of Serbia in Chicago, Damjan Jović, said that the priority of the work of the Consulate General is reflected in working with the diaspora, strengthening economic relations between Serbia and the United States, connecting and creating preconditions for cooperation and exchange within educational, cultural and health institutions of the two countries.

In an interview with "Vesti", Jović said that the first weeks after taking office were spent meeting representatives of the consular corps, business associations, local institutions, but also potential investors and companies dealing with the distribution of Serbian products on the American market.

Consul General Jović pointed out that in the coming years, a visit to Serbia will be organized by young people of Serbian origin from the USA, in order to get to know the country of their ancestors, but also to form a stronger connection with the motherland.

Also, Jović informed that activities are planned to improve the learning of the Serbian language.

Jović said that he would try to bring business people of Serbian origin from the US diaspora closer to business opportunities in Serbia in the coming period, and reminded that the "Financial Times" declared Serbia the best destination for foreign direct investments in the world, which speaks of the results of hard work, which all state institutions have invested in creating a positive investment environment.

Asked whether work is being done on the signing of the agreement on double taxation, the Consul General said that reaching that agreement is one of the priorities for Ambassador Đurić, when it comes to expanding the contractual base between Serbia and the United States.

Jović pointed out that the implementation of mobile equipment for the acquisition of biometric data, which would enable important consular services to be performed outside the headquarters of the consulate in Chicago, is very important, considering that the Consulate covers as many as 28 federal states.

We want to be the best service to our citizens, so for that reason, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior, at the initiative of Minister Nikola Selaković, intensified work on adapting software and providing technical preconditions, so that the mobile system could be implemented as soon as possible, Jović explained.

Speaking about the petition for the establishment of a direct flight between Belgrade and Chicago, the Consul General said that there is a great desire to establish this flight, especially taking into account the size of the Serbian diaspora, but that it should be borne in mind that the airline industry is one of the most affected during the pandemic.

In this regard, the Consul General expressed hope that in the coming years, the conditions will be created for the establishment of a direct line.