Đurić from New York: Strengthening Cooperation Between Chinese and Serbian Diplomacy

“These include 35 different documents, among them two joint statements, 23 intergovernmental agreements, and 10 documents concerning cooperation in the field of media, and their implementation constituted one part of the discussions we held. A significant portion of our talks was devoted to mutual support within international organizations, where Serbia enjoys principled, yet also firm and concrete, almost daily support from the People’s Republic of China here at the United Nations when it comes to Kosovo and Metohija, as well as our territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Đurić emphasized.

Reflecting on the thematic session of the United Nations Security Council dedicated to the role of the UN, the UN Charter, and international law, Đurić added that the Chinese side had expressed appreciation to Serbia.

“They assessed as significant the contribution of the Serbian delegation, namely the fact that Serbia stands firmly and consistently by the principles of the inviolability of borders, respect for the UN Charter, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states,” Đurić stressed.

During today’s meeting, the interlocutors also discussed modalities for enhancing cooperation across various fields.

“A considerable part of our discussions also focused on economic cooperation, which opens opportunities for future generations in Serbia, both through the Free Trade Agreement — under which Serbia is the only European country with an active agreement with China — and through infrastructure development, including the recently signed agreement on the construction of the ‘Vožd Karađorđe’ motorway section, which will improve connectivity between central and southern Serbia,” Đurić pointed out.

As he explained, the discussions also addressed political cooperation between the two countries.

“Mr. Wang Yi once again expressed appreciation for the friendship demonstrated by the people and Government of Serbia, and particularly for the personal efforts of President Vučić, who, as the central political figure in our country, has made a significant contribution to Serbia becoming China’s strategic partner in this part of Europe, while also achieving exceptional — I would even say remarkable — economic results through our cooperation over the past several years,” Đurić stated.

The Serbian Foreign Minister described the meeting with his Chinese counterpart as a comprehensive and well-rounded discussion, highly complementary to what the Serbian delegation achieved in China during the historic state visit of President Vučić and the visit of the President of the Serbian Progressive Party, Miloš Vučević.

“This represented the third segment of the week of strategic cooperation between Serbia and China,” Minister Marko Đurić concluded.