A long tradition of diplomatic and friendly relations between Serbia and Poland

11. Jun 2021.
On the second day of his visit to Warsaw, the Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selaković met with Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau.

The interlocutors referred to the long tradition of diplomatic and friendly relations and agreed that both countries are committed to strengthening overall cooperation.

Minister Selaković also emphasized the importance of exchanging visits at the highest level and on this occasion sent an invitation to his colleague Rau to pay a return visit to Serbia.

He added that preparations for the visit of the Polish President Andrzej Duda to Serbia have already begun and reiterated that this visit is of great importance for our country and for the continuation of friendly and partnership relations.

The ministers emphasized their commitment to improving economic co-operation and to the increased presence of businessmen and investors in both countries. They agreed that the realistic goal is for the level of foreign trade to exceed two billion euros in two years.

When it comes to the process of European integration of Serbia, Selaković thanked for the active support and position of Poland that our country and the entire region of the Western Balkans have a place in the Union.

The Minister pointed out the importance of the regional format – the Visegrad Group (V4) and said that Serbia recognizes the closeness with the V4 member states, and that it has an interest in cooperating with them both bilaterally and within this initiative.

Also, Selaković spoke about the "mini Schengen" initiative, which aims to contribute to stability in the Balkans and the relaxation of political relations through economic connections and cooperation in our region.

The head of Serbian diplomacy informed Minister Rau about the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and stressed that Serbia is fully committed to continuing the dialogue, but that we remain skeptical about the other side's readiness to implement the agreement, reiterating that a compromise would be the only viable solution.

Selaković sent congratulations to the head of Polish diplomacy on the occasion of this year's jubilee – 230 years since the adoption of the first Constitution of Poland, which is also the first constitution in Europe.

The two ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the ministries of foreign affairs of Serbia and Poland, as well as the Program of Cooperation in the Field of Culture, Education and Science for the period 2021-2024.

The ministers also discussed holding political consultations in the field of bilateral relations, regional and multilateral cooperation, the process of European integration and security policies, as well as intensifying cooperation in culture and education and improving connections between Polish and Serbian cities.