Dacic visits Tashkent

TASHKENT - Serbian First Deputy PM and FM Ivica Dacic met with Uzbek Acting FM Bakhtiar Saidov in Tashkent on Friday on the second day of his visit to Central Asia.

Dacic noted that he was very pleased with the opportunity to pay an official visit to Uzbekistan and said this proved Serbia's firm commitment to further development of the traditionally good and friendly bilateral relations, as well as to advancement and deepening of overall cooperation, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Dacic welcomed the establishment of a mechanism of political and economic consultations that should lend an institutional impetus and help advance and guide overall cooperation in the period to come.

Dacic noted that various sectors including the agriculture, textile, metals and pharmaceuticals industries held potential for boosting the cooperation, and added that it was important to consider the possibility of setting up a bilateral commission on trade and economic cooperation as an impetus to development of relations between the two countries.

He also noted the significance of advancement of parliamentary cooperation as an efficient instrument of strengthening the political dialogue and understanding between the two friendly countries.

Dacic also said Serbia had submitted a bid to host EXPO 2027 and would appreciate Uzbekistan's support for the candidacy.

Dacic thanked Uzbekistan for its principled and consistent support to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia.

Welcoming Dacic, Saidov said he was confident the Serbian minister's historic visit to Uzbekistan would lend a new impetus to bilateral relations and take the cooperation to a higher level.

Saidov reiterated Uzbekistan's unchanged position of respect of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia.

Dacic invited Saidov to visit Serbia and conveyed to him the regards of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, the statement said.