Serbia, Benin hold political consultations in Cotonou

COTONOU - The FMs of Serbia and Benin, Marko Djuric and Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, opened bilateral political consultations in Cotonou on Tuesday.

The two sides said the consultations were a significant step in strengthening bilateral relations further and a continuation of cooperation launched decades ago.

The cooperation began in the era of former Yugoslav president Tito, through support provided to Benin and other African countries in their independence struggle, the Serbian MFA said in a statement.

The consultations were led by the secretaries-general of the Serbian and Beninese MFAs, Dusan Kozarev and Franck Armel Afoukou, and views were exchanged on numerous matters of mutual interest, with emphasis on advancement of political dialogue, economic cooperation and other domains of bilateral cooperation.

The parties agreed that there was significant space for deepening the relations between the two friendly countries, especially in defence, agriculture, education and sports, and highlighted a need for more frequent contacts at all levels.

Special attention was devoted to a scholarship programme for Beninese students in Serbia.

Possibilities for cooperation and ties between the diplomatic academies of the two MFAs were also discussed.

The consultations confirmed a firm commitment by both sides to build a substantial and mutually beneficial partnership in the spirit of traditional friendship and solidarity, the statement said.