Đurić: We share political, human and all other values with Vanuatu

Minister Đurić described today's visit as historic, because it is the first high-level political visit to be paid by an official of that Pacific country.

"We established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Vanuatu only six years ago, and we share political, human and all other values, especially considering the fact that we have a balanced view of international relations, that both our country and the country of our dear friends strive for independent and rapid economic development with a focus on economic and political stability," Đurić pointed out.

The head of Serbian diplomacy expressed his belief that this friendship, which gained additional momentum at the recently held summit of the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga, could develop even further in the coming period.

"Today's discussion with Mr. Nawalu was very friendly and open, meaningful and constructive, and we also signed a Memorandum on consultations between our two ministries, which will contribute to a better mutual understanding. I expect and hope that one of the outcomes of today's visit will be a more thorough understanding of Serbia's position when it comes to both our domestic and regional issues, just as I am sure that today's visit will result in our side’s better grasp of the challenges and outstanding issues facing people in Vanuatu and the entire Pacific Rim," Đurić emphasized.

The Minister said that he believed that this visit would give rise to some new ideas aimed at the strengthening of our economic cooperation.

"The delegation of Vanuatu will visit some of our top agricultural and scientific institutes. Our cooperation in the field of education carried out through the World in Serbia programme, as part of which several students from Vanuatu are receiving higher education in Serbia, is already showing results, and I am convinced that those students who attend universities in Serbia will also be a lasting bridge of cooperation and friendship between our countries,” the Serbian Foreign Minister said.

As he pointed out, there is room for promoting cooperation in the fields of tourism, healthcare and high-tech and Serbia is willing to share experiences with its friends, in the area of e-government, digitalization and artificial intelligence.

The Minister noted that Serbia was firmly committed to respecting the United Nations Charter and international law.

"We treat all countries of the world in an impartial and equitable way, while creating a network of partners with countries that likewise treat us in an impartial and equitable manner. That is why we are grateful to our friends from Vanuatu for the respect they showed us by travelling across virtually the whole world to be here in Belgrade," Đurić said.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia also said that friends from the Republic of Vanuatu accepted the invitation extended by Serbia to participate in the Specialized Exhibition EXPO 2027.

"We are proud of the fact that our friends from Vanuatu will have their own pavilion at the EXPO and that Belgrade will be a place where Europeans and people from other parts of the world will be able to get acquainted with the rich culture, history and traditions of the people of Vanuatu, but also to learn about issues such as climate change, biodiversity challenges and other challenges facing parts of the world that may be geographically distant, but we should not lose sight of the fact that we are all one humanity and share the same destiny, regardless of where we are," Đurić pointed out.

Minister Nawalu thanked the head of Serbian diplomacy for the invitation to visit Serbia, pointing out that he was welcomed with great warmth and hospitality and that the meeting with his Serbian colleague was aimed at strengthening and further promoting relations between Serbia and Vanuatu.

Speaking about the meeting held today, Minister Nawalu stated that they discussed global issues such as peace and security, development, environmental protection, climate change.

The head of diplomacy of Vanuatu particularly praised the attention that Serbia attached to the Pacific island countries, noting that this contributed to improving the living conditions of the people in the Pacific, and reminded that Vanuatu provided strong support to Serbia’s bid to host the EXPO 2027 specialized exhibition.

Referring to the importance of the "World in Serbia" programme, the Minister emphasized that three students from his country were currently receiving higher education in Belgrade.

"We hope that in the future we will have even more of our students study here in Serbia, in order to gain useful knowledge in the fields of science, agriculture, healthcare, technology and sports," emphasized the Foreign Minister of Vanuatu.

As part of today’s meeting, the ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Vanuatu.