Economic integration as the key to cooperation within the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Dušan Kozarev, took part today in the ministerial meeting of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, held in Crete. In addition to the Serbian representative, the meeting was attended by high-ranking officials from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Italy, San Marino, as well as representatives of the European Commission.

In his address, Kozarev particularly emphasized that Serbia is committed to regional cooperation, accelerating economic development, and strengthening peace and stability, in line with the policies of President Aleksandar Vučić and the efforts of the Government and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko Đurić. He underscored that Serbia remains dedicated to the European integration process as one of its key foreign policy priorities.

He stressed that economic cooperation constitutes the backbone of regional connectivity. In this context, he reiterated the Serbian Government’s unequivocal commitment to further strengthening ties with neighboring countries, with special focus on infrastructure projects. He also underlined that cooperation on addressing key security challenges remains high on Serbia’s agenda, as a prerequisite for the region’s continued development.

The Secretary General informed participants that Serbia will host the Specialized Exhibition EXPO 2027 from 15 May to 15 August 2027, under the theme “Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All.” He noted that a considerable number of countries, international organizations, and companies have already confirmed their participation, highlighting that the event will be one of the largest global gatherings that year. He invited all attendees to be guests of Serbia at this important international event.