Đurić: Strong Serbia-Slovakia friendship forged over many generations
"Mr. Robert Fico (Prime Minister of Slovakia) and Mr. Blanár are among the strongest advocates of our national interests, both when it comes to European integration and when it comes to Kosovo and Metohija," Đurić said at the press conference after the meeting.
Đurić pointed out that Minister Blanár speaks about Serbia and Serbian national interests with an affection, attention and respect which he never had the opportunity to experience with any interlocutor of a similar rank.
"Therefore, I sincerely thank you in front of the public of Serbia, in front of the public of Slovakia, in front of the entire international community, our Slovak friends, for your sincere friendship and constant support," said the head of Serbian diplomacy.
Đurić noted that the friendship between Serbia and Slovakia, as well as the cooperation agreement between the two ministries of foreign affairs signed today, provide excellent foundations for the continued development of economic cooperation, as well as cooperation in the fields of culture, digital diplomacy and new technologies.
"I informed our Slovak friends about the dynamic economic growth which has characterized Serbia, even amid the global turbulent developments, and expressed satisfaction with the cooperation with Slovak investors in Serbia," Minister Đurić stated.
The Serbian Foreign Minister also assessed that the Slovak community in Serbia and the Serbian community in Slovakia represent a strong bridge of cooperation between the two countries and peoples.
"We want Slovaks in Serbia to absolutely and always feel at home, and we are ready to do absolutely everything foreseen by law and other regulations, and much more, in order to help preserve the identity, culture and tradition of Slovaks in the territory of the Republic of Serbia," Đurić noted.
As he concluded, the two countries also share the same values when it comes to international issues, which means that both Serbia and Slovakia are countries that stand for peace and cooperation, and that share the same principles in their international activities.
Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia Juraj Blanár stated that the relations between the two countries are exceptional, based on common values and long-standing historical foundations.
The head of Slovak diplomacy explained that respect for international law and territorial integrity is key for Slovakia, as well as that principled conduct is its key position.
“Our position when it comes to Kosovo is unchanged, because that represents a violation of the territorial integrity of Serbia and that is why Slovakia, like many other countries, does not recognize Kosovo, but on the other hand, it supports an intensive dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina,” Minister Blanár said.
Minister Blanár emphasized that Slovakia lends significant support for the European integration of the Western Balkans, especially Serbia, which, according to him, deserves to progress much faster than is the case at the moment.
"The intensity of the accession process needs to be much more dynamic, and that is why we call for the opening and closing of Cluster 3 as soon as possible," Minister Blanár said.
Speaking about the economic cooperation between the two countries, Minister Blanár pointed out that Slovakia is committed to having an even better and deeper economic cooperation with Serbia.
"Slovakia emphasizes that economic diplomacy is very important and we believe that there is a lot more potential for development here than the current trade in goods of 1.2 billion euros reflects," said the head of Slovak diplomacy.
Today, Ministers Đurić and Blanár signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia.
