On Thursday January 30, an official visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan, Mr. Sirojiddin Muhriddin, to the Republic of Serbia commenced, according to the Tajik MFA information department.
In the framework of the visit, Muhriddin reportedly met with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Ms. Ana Brnabić.
In the course of the talks, the parties discussed the current state and prospects of further expansion of bilateral relations in various fields.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan invited the Prime Minister of Serbia to participate in the Second High-Level Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development, 2018–2028”, the Tajik MFA information department said.
Meanwhile, China’s news agency Xinhua, citing Serbian government’s press service, reports that leading Serbian officials told visiting Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin that Serbia is interested in building tighter bonds with Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries.
Muhriddin, the first visiting Tajik foreign minister in the 25-year history of bilateral ties between Tajikistan and Serbia, reportedly met with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and President Aleksandar Vucic.
“Muhriddin expressed confidence that a visit to Serbia and meetings with Serbian officials would give new impetus to the two countries' trust-based relations,” said a Serbian government's press release.
Dacic and Muhriddin signed a memorandum of understanding between the foreign ministries of the two countries and held a press conference, where they identified potential areas for cooperation and announced their agreement to hold annual meetings and to promote economic, cultural and scientific ties.
Dacic said that Serbia should be more visible in the Central Asian countries, and said that trade with Tajikistan should be increased. In 2019, the bilateral trade between the two countries was worth around 7 million U.S. dollars.
Muhriddin reportedly also met Vucic, with whom he “agreed that opportunities for cooperation exist in many areas … with the prior establishment of a legal basis as a precondition for improving economic cooperation.”
“Serbia will maintain links with friendly countries, such as Tajikistan, with mutual support in various international forums. We will develop cooperation in areas where there are real opportunities and mutual interest, and that cooperation is becoming increasingly important for us,” Vucic said.
2018-2028 International Decade for Action, 'Water for Sustainable Development' … The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the decade 2018-2028 as the International Decade for Action 'Water for Sustainable Development'. It will begin on World Water Day 22 March 2018 and end on World Water Day, 22 March 2028.
