Djuric: We will work intensively on opening Serbia-US strategic dialogue

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Thursday intensive work on preparing and opening a Serbia-US strategic dialogue would be underway in the next few months.

At a press conference in the Serbian parliament building, Djuric said efforts would be made to deepen the cooperation with the US in all areas.

"We will continue to advance our cooperation further," Djuric said ahead of a Days of America conference, hosted in Belgrade by the Serbian-American Friendship Congress.

He said major steps towards strengthening the ties and advancing trust, understanding and respect between Serbia and the US had been made during the administrations of US President Donald Trump and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

"I firmly believe that building strategic relations between the two countries is a Serbian national interest and I have witnessed what we can do together by joining forces in defence, the economy and all other fields," Djuric said.

The conference will also be attended by Ohio National Guard Commander Brig Gen Matthew Woodruff, and Djuric said Serbia and the US state of Ohio had a special connection and that the Serbian Armed Forces and the Ohio National Guard had a deep relationship that had already reached a mature stage.

US Charge d'Affaires in Belgrade Alexander Titolo said he was excited about the start of strategic dialogue and discussions about concrete things to improve the well-being of the citizens of both countries.

Woodruff said he felt at home in Serbia and noted that the cooperation with the Serbian army had begun 19 years ago.

He said the Serbia-US partnership was more than a hundred years old and that the two sides were helping each other and would continue to do so.