Serbia celebrates Statehood Day
23 February 2018
Serbian Ambassador to South Africa, Mr Bozin Nikolic hosted a reception to celebrate Serbia's Statehood Day.
Addressing guests Ambassador Nikolic said that South Africa was an important partner, not only in Africa but internationally.
He said the relationship between Serbia and South Africa was strong and has great potential to further deepen and develop in a wide variety of areas.
“Serbia is ready to further elevate the Serbia-South Africa mutually beneficial relations to new heights. With bright prospects and great potential of co-operation under the different frameworks, Serbia is willing to work with South Africa to enhance our partnership in development strategies, to turn our bilateral traditional friendship and economic complementaries into a driving force to further co-operation,” Nikolic said.
South Africa and Serbia have agreed to explore other potential areas of co-operation in line with both countries’ priorities and interests.
South African Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Bulelani Magwanishe, was the Chief guest of honour at the celebration. He said other identified areas of co-operation that hold prospects between the two countries include co-operation in the field of defence, trade, energy, arts and culture and sports.
“Our countries established an important platform at senior officials’ level to coordinate and enhance bilateral relations and co-operation. The last senior officials’ consultations hosted confirmed the growing co-operation and also acknowledged the need for intensification of sectoral co-operation especially in the areas of agriculture and education,” Deputy Minister Magwanishe said.
Deputy Minister Magwanishe added that the co-operation between the Serbian province of Vojvodina and Limpopo in agriculture is one of the encouraging co-operation programmes that could be replicated in other provinces.
“In the area of skills development, we appreciate the offer provided by the Serbian Government for scholarships for South African youth. We will need to look at how co-operation in this area could be strengthened.”
South Africa’s total exports to Serbia in 2016 were worth R39 million, while total imports from Serbia to South Africa amounted to R103 million in the same year.