BELGRADE, 5th April, 2023 (WAM) — Aleksandar Vučić, President of the Republic of Serbia, has received a written message from President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan addressing the bilateral relations and the strategic partnership between the two countries.
President Vučić also sent a similar message to President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, as he received H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, today in Belgrade, during which Sheikh Abdullah presented the UAE President's letter to him.
During the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah conveyed the greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the Serbian President and his wishes for further progress and prosperity for Serbia and its people.
In turn, President Vučić conveyed his greetings to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and his wishes for continued prosperity and growth for the UAE.
During the meeting, the sides discussed the outcomes of the work visit President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed made to Serbia last October, and its positive impact in generating opportunities to broaden the UAE-Serbia strategic partnership to serve the interests of their countries and peoples.
They also reviewed the cooperation between their countries, highlighting the importance of building on their strategic partnership to further boost their collaboration.
Sheikh Abdullah and President Vučić affirmed the depth of the friendship between their countries, which continues to grow with the support of their leaderships.
Moreover, the two sides exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual concern, as well as on relevant regional and global developments, including the situation in the Middle East and the Balkans.
In this regard, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah welcomed the recent agreement between Serbia and Kosovo to implement European Union-sponsored plan to normalise relations, and reiterated the UAE's support for all efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability in the Western Balkans.
Following the meeting, President Vučić and H.H. Sheikh Abdullah held a joint press conference covering Sheikh Abdullah's work visit to Serbia, the strategic partnership between their countries and files of mutual interest.
Today, our countries boast a distinguished strategic partnership across various areas of mutual concern, especially in economic and trade fields, Sheikh Abdullah said during the press conference, highlighting that the UAE-Serbia non-oil bilateral trade volume grew from around US$13 million in 2012 to around US$127 million in 2022.
The UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation affirmed that the ties between the UAE and Serbia are not limited to political and economic spheres, but extend to the UAE and Serbian peoples, with the UAE being home to over 5,000 Serbian residents, working in various sectors, and welcoming over 39,000 Serbian tourists in 2022 alone.
He also noted that the latest visit of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to Serbia testifies to the UAE's keenness to strengthen its relations with Serbia, and to promote regional peace, stability and prosperity.
For several decades, the Middle East has struggled with many conflicts, which showed us that dialogue and cooperation are the best option to resolve such conflicts, and without this realisation, we would not have the prosperity and development we have today, Sheikh Abdullah explained, adding that the UAE's support of the recent agreement between Serbia and Kosovo to normalise relations stems from the UAE's experience in such matters.
He also stressed the importance of continuing efforts aimed at achieving results that satisfy both sides, underscoring the UAE's support for all efforts that seek to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond.
For his part, President Vučić welcomed the visit of Sheikh Abdullah and his accompanying delegation, and expressed his appreciation of the visit that His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed made to Serbia recently. He affirmed that his country is looking forward to enhancing its strategic partnership with the UAE across all sectors.
The meeting was attended by Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister for Culture and Public Diplomacy; Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri, Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; and Mubarak Saeed Al Dhaheri, UAE Ambassador to Serbia.