Đurić: Serbia and Slovakia Share Common Values, a Strong Friendship and a Vision of a European Future

Minister Đurić emphasized that Slovakia is one of Serbia’s friendly countries, with relations founded on historical ties, the closeness of the two peoples and the significant contribution of the Slovak community in Serbia.

He assessed that the visit comes at a time of intensified bilateral contacts and confirms the positive momentum in cooperation between the two countries.

Đurić particularly thanked Slovakia for its support for the European Union’s enlargement policy and Serbia’s European path, stressing that greater integration of the Western Balkans into European structures would contribute to strengthening economic and interethnic ties, as well as to the long-term stability of the entire continent.

He underlined that Serbia’s membership in the European Union is a strategic goal of national importance, as well as an issue that contributes to Europe’s overall security, stability and economic development, stressing that Europe can only be complete if it includes all Western Balkan countries.

He emphasized that the enlargement process must be based exclusively on performance and results, noting that political conditionality does not contribute to stability or trust in the integration process. He added that President Aleksandar Vučić would attend the upcoming summit with European Union leaders, to be held in Montenegro.

Đurić also addressed the issue of respect for international law, stressing that Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty are no less important than the territorial integrity and sovereignty of any other European country, and that the same principles must apply everywhere — or they do not exist.

He added that Serbia remains committed to dialogue and to resolving all outstanding issues within the EU-facilitated process, and that it uses every opportunity to inform its partners about the position of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija.

The Minister also pointed to the importance of the Slovak national community in Serbia, stressing that Serbia would continue to support the project of opening the Slovak House, which will serve as an additional bridge of cooperation between the two countries. He recalled that the naïve painting tradition of the Slovak community in Serbia has been inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which represents a shared source of pride for Serbia and Slovakia.

Speaking about cooperation between the two foreign ministries, Đurić said there was room to improve coordination and joint action in third countries, including the possibility of sharing diplomatic premises and strengthening political consultations.

Regarding economic cooperation, the Minister assessed that it brings tangible benefits to the citizens of both countries, particularly highlighting the investment by Tatravagónka Bratstvo in Subotica, which has created five hundred new jobs.

He expressed the expectation that new Slovak investments in Serbia, as well as Serbian investments in Slovakia, would be realized, and announced that a session of the Joint Economic Committee would soon be held to consider opportunities for joint action in third markets.

The Serbian foreign minister assessed that the visit to Bratislava confirmed the exceptionally prominent level of friendship and trust between the two countries, stressing that Serbia and Slovakia share not only close historical ties, but also a common vision of the future based on cooperation, stability and connectivity.

Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár said that Slovakia, guided by the principles of respect for international law and the territorial integrity of states, does not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and Metohija and supports resolving the issue through dialogue between Belgrade and Priština.

Blanár emphasized that Slovakia remains consistent in its position that international law must be respected, which is why it is one of the five European Union member states that do not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and Metohija, considering that such recognition would constitute a violation of Serbia’s territorial integrity.

He stressed that Slovakia strongly supports the European path of Serbia and other Western Balkan countries, emphasizing that the continuation of the Belgrade-Priština dialogue is of key importance both for the European integration process and for preserving regional stability and security.

He also stated that relations between Serbia and Slovakia are traditionally close and friendly, with particular support for preserving the identity of the Slovak community in Serbia.