Ragus receives Uzbek ambassador to Serbia

BELGRADE - Serbian Deputy Parliament Speaker Marina Ragus, who also chairs the parliament's foreign affairs committee, met with Uzbek Ambassador to Belgrade Oybek Shakhavdinov on Tuesday to discuss strengthening of cooperation and a confirmation of support for Serbia's territorial integrity.

Ragus thanked Uzbekistan for its principled stance of non-recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called Kosovo, an official statement said.

"She stressed that the Kosovo issue is a painful subject for Serbia and reminded the guest of the unenviable position of Serbs who live there in a situation that keeps deteriorating and complicating from one day to the next.

She said that Serbs in Kosovo are denied human and civil rights and they live in ghetto-like conditions which, she opined, is unthinkable in the very heart of Europe in the 21st century. She reminded him that 13 years after the signing of the Brussels Agreement, the most important issue for the Serb people remains unfulfilled and that is the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities.

Recalling the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries, Ambassador Shakhavdinov said that, for Uzbekistan, Serbia is a state of particular significance and a truly important partner and the support for its territorial integrity and sovereignty has never been brought into question. He added that, for Uzbekistan, respecting international law is one of the fundamental postulates of state policy.

During the talks, special emphasis was placed on strengthening parliamentary cooperation through cooperation between the two parliaments’ friendship groups and foreign affairs committees, which could help make the good relations between the two countries truly excellent.

The Ambassador stressed that parliamentary cooperation should be the foundation of relations between the two countries and pointed out that a series of high-level meetings are expected in the coming period that will further strengthen these relations, through forums and conferences, such as the Asian Women's Forum, which will be held in Uzbekistan this year, and the IPU Global Conference of Women Parliamentarians in Belgrade. In this context, he particularly emphasised the significant role that women play in the public and political life of Serbia and Uzbekistan.

Ragus said that Serbia, as a country that carefully nurtures relations with Uzbekistan and devotes significant attention to economic growth and stability, sees great scope for joint progress in the field of economy, especially in the sphere of digitalisation and the IT sector. The officials noted that good cooperation has already been achieved in the fields of pharmacy and defence, but that there is also room for further improvement of cultural exchange, as an important link between the two peoples," the statement also said.