Brnabic: Serbia, Burundi connected by shared values, longtime friendship

BELGRADE - Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic met with Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye in Belgrade on Thursday, highlighting a potential for parliamentary cooperation that would contribute to further advancement of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, connected by shared values and a longtime friendship.

Brnabic announced a Serbia-Burundi parliamentary friendship group would be formed as soon as possible to ensure better understanding between the legislative authorities of the two countries and work on joint projects, the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia said in a statement.

She also thanked Burundi for derecognising the so-called Kosovo and for abstaining in a UN vote on a Srebrenica resolution.

Brnabic said she was pleased nine bilateral agreements on cooperation had been signed during Ndayishimiye's visit to Serbia.

Noting that Burundi's support for Belgrade's successful bid to host EXPO 2027 meant much to Serbia, Brnabic said the expo and Burundi's participation in it would represent another form of cooperation and that it was a good opportunity to present Burundi's potential.

Ndayishimiye said his country needed friends like Serbia for an exchange of knowledge and expertise aimed at further development and noted that Burundi was a country with numerous natural resources Serbian investors could invest in.

At the same time, he also expressed readiness for advancement of parliamentary cooperation with Serbia.