Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selakovic met today with Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Serbia Chen Bo.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selakovic met today with Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Serbia Chen Bo.
Selakovic stated that the relations between Serbia and China continue to strengthen and expressed satisfaction with dialogue and intensification of cooperation between Serbia and China during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Serbian Foreign Minister pointed out that Serbia attaches great importance to further enriching the strategic partnership and strengthening high-level and top-level dialogue with the People's Republic of China, and that the new Serbian government continues to follow the guidelines set by Serbian and Chinese Presidents Aleksandar Vucic and Xi Jinping respectively.
In that sense, we are very happy to expect the visit of President Xi Jinping to Serbia as soon as possible, at a time when epidemiological conditions in the world allow it, said Selakovic.
The Minister also expressed satisfaction with the cooperation between the two ministries of foreign affairs, and wished that additional efforts be made in the coming period to intensify it.
Serbia immensely appreciates China's principled position on the issue of Kosovo-Metohija, especially within the UN and other international organisations and institutions, and we expect that support to continue in the same spirit, the Minister said.
Selakovic said that Serbia is fully committed to intensifying cooperation with China through bilateral channels, but also through the Belt and Road initiative and China's cooperation mechanism with Central and Eastern European countries.
When it comes to economic cooperation, the Serbian minister expressed the expectation that the trend of Chinese direct investments in Serbia will continue, as well as that there will be an increase in Serbian exports to China.
Speaking about the overall cooperation between the two countries, Selakovic pointed to the cooperation in the field of culture, where the opening of the Cultural Centre of Serbia in Beijing in November 2018 is of special importance, which will contribute to better knowledge of Serbia and its culture in China.
At the same time, according to the Minister, the planned opening of the Chinese Cultural Centre in Belgrade, whose cornerstone was laid by President Xi Jinping, is also a reason to rejoice.
Minister Selakovic extended New Year wishes to the Ambassador and wished her personal and professional success in the new year of 2021 and thanked her for the New Year's greetings sent to him by State Counselor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.