Vucic: Meeting with Zeman historic, special for Serbia

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday Serbia had the honour and the privilege of welcoming Milos Zeman on one of his last state visits as president of the Czech Republic.

"That makes this visit historic and very special for our country," Vucic wrote in a post on his buducnostsrbijeav Instagram account after a closed-door meeting with Zeman at the Palace of Serbia.

He added that they had exchanged views on all pressing issues of today.

"With great respect, I listened to the wise advice of our friend, based on the experience of a great statesman whose reputation goes beyond the frameworks of daily politics and who has a courageous approach to many issues and is a responsible and dependable friend," he said.

"I thanked President Zeman for his sincere support to Serbia and for giving a personal impetus to our relations and friendship, and advocating strongly a deepening of bilateral and economic cooperation between our countries, for which we will always especially respect and remember his presidential tenure," Vucic noted.

After the meeting, Vucic and Zeman signed a declaration on strengthening cultural cooperation and establishment of a Czech House in Belgrade.

The institution will be home to Czech agencies operating in Serbia and cater to the needs of the local Czech ethnic minority.