Đurić confers with the Austrian Foreign Minister

20. Mar 2025.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Marko Đurić, spoke today with the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Beate Meinl-Reisinger.

During the phone conversation, Minister Đurić congratulated Minister Meinl-Reisinger on assuming office, expressing his expectation that overall cooperation between Serbia and Austria will continue to develop in a positive direction during her tenure.

Minister Đurić conveyed Serbia’s readiness to further enhance political dialogue at the highest and senior levels, expressing hope that the Austrian Foreign Minister will visit Serbia in the near future.

Emphasizing that Serbia’s full membership in the European Union is one of its key foreign policy priorities, Minister Đurić underlined Serbia’s deep appreciation for Austria’s support on this path.

In this context, the Serbian Foreign Minister highlighted that Serbia is committed to completing all necessary reforms by the end of December 2026 to fulfill the conditions for EU accession.

The head of Serbian diplomacy reiterated that Serbia remains dedicated to preserving peace and stability in the region and strengthening regional cooperation, which is a fundamental prerequisite for the overall progress of the Western Balkans.

Regarding Kosovo and Metohija, Minister Đurić noted that the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue has been stagnating for years and that the Serbian population continues to face daily pressures, leading to the displacement of 15% of Serbs from the territory of Serbia’s southern province in the past year alone.

Minister Đurić stressed that Belgrade will continue to insist on the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities, which is crucial for securing the collective, political, and other essential rights of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija—rights that have been significantly undermined in recent years.

The Minister emphasized that Austria is one of Serbia’s most important economic partners and one of the largest investors in the country, expressing confidence that economic cooperation will continue to grow and follow an upward trajectory.

Taking into account that Serbia will host the Specialized Expo 2027, Minister Đurić stated that Austria’s participation in this highly significant international event would represent another step forward in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.