Postage stamp on the occasion of 140 years of diplomatic relations with the United States

The central motif on the postage stamp is a double-headed eagle with wings that symbolically represent the flags of Serbia and the United States.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nemanja Starović, said at a ceremony at the PTT Museum that cooperation between the two countries was marked by a struggle for common values ​​and that the two countries stood side by side "on the right side of history" in world conflicts.

As he said, the action of rescuing American pilots in Pranjani during the "Halliard" operation, which is one of the most successful rescue missions during the Second World War, speaks volumes about that.

Starović said that the importance of the ties between the two countries is also evidenced by the fact that on 28 July 1918, in honor of the fallen Serbian fighters and civilians in the First World War, a Serbian flag was raised at the White House and other American institutions on the order of the US President at the time, Woodrow Wilson.

"Development of good relations with the United States is one of Serbia's foreign policy priorities", Starović underlined, emphasizing the importance of Washington's support for Serbia's full membership in the EU, as well as continued support for preserving peace, stability and security in the Western Balkans and normalizing the Belgrade-Pristina relations.

"The positive dynamics of cooperation between Serbia and the United States reaches new levels and opens up new possibilities", Starović said, expressing readiness to jointly build comprehensive cooperation with the United States based on common values ​​and interests of the two countries.

At the promotion of the philatelic edition at the PTT Museum, the US Ambassador to Belgrade, Anthony Godfrey, was presented with a luxury philatelic edition as a special gift for US President Joseph Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris.

Ambassador Godfrey thanked for the original celebration of the jubilee and praised the design of the stamp, which, as he said, vividly represents the relationship and friendship between the two countries, which is based on common values ​​and a common vision of the future.

"Our partnership has lasted for 140 years and is a reflection of our determination to fight the biggest challenges together. Our relations today are more multifaceted than ever", Godfrey said.

He said that Serbia's path to the EU is the most important common goal of the two countries, and added that since 2001, the United States have allocated more than 1.16 billion dollars in aid to Serbia, of which 40 million dollars in 2020.

Trade and economic cooperation have been at the center of relations between the two countries from the very beginning, and American companies have invested around four billion euros and employ more than 20,000 people in various branches of the economy.

"Strong business ties are accompanied by contacts created through exchanges in the field of education", Godfrey said.

In the last 20 years, the US Embassy in Belgrade has made it possible for more than 2,400 Serbian citizens to stay in the United States.

Acting Director of the Post of Serbia, Zoran Đorđević, said that the company remains a socially responsible company that implements the policy of the Government of Serbia and the President of Serbia with a strong message that, as he pointed out, Serbia is a friendly country and has many friends, including the United States.

Đorđević said that there were ups and downs in the relations between the two countries, but that there were very few downs, emphasizing that the friendship between the two countries was perpetuated in the victims of our peoples in the fight for freedom.

"Serbia and the United States are great friends even today, I believe that this postage stamp is a clear message that Serbia is a friend of the United States. Our country now feels that there is a completely different relationship and US support for Serbia's European path and everything we do together", said Đorđević, adding that the Post of Serbia is joining the celebration of a significant jubilee with this special edition.

Official diplomatic and trade relations between Serbia and the United States were established on 14 October 1881, when the Principality of Serbia and the United States signed two treaties.

In the historical sense, the relations between the two countries are characterized by an alliance in two world wars, and cultural, scientific and economic cooperation was marked by greats such as Mihajlo Pupin and Nikola Tesla.

The edition of postage stamps on the occasion of the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations points to some of the visual associations that represent the ideals and values ​​shared by Serbia and the United States.