Jovanovic, Kozarev and UK's Pierce discuss cooperation, regional affairs

LONDON - State Secretary at the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nevena Jovanovic and the Ministry's Secretary General Dusan Kozarev met on Wednesday in London with UK special Western Balkans envoy Karen Pierce to discuss bilateral relations, Serbia's EU integration and regional affairs.

The parties agreed that Serbia-UK relations are traditionally good, especially in the economy, defence and security, the Serbian MFA said in a statement.

Jovanovic and Kozarev conveyed Serbia's full commitment to EU integration and further implementation of reforms, noting the exceptional results achieved by President Aleksanar Vucic's administration, reflected in comprehensive modernisation of the country, growth of living standards and a tripling of the GDP since 2012, with Serbia now positioned as a major investment destination and a regional leader.

"The holding of the global EXPO 2027 event will be a symbolic culmination of that state-building policy," the statement said, adding that the UK's participation in the expo would be exceptionally notable and useful for strengthening ties.

The meeting also addressed the position of Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo-Metohija, and Jovanovic and Kozarev voiced concerns over threats to human rights and Serbian cultural heritage.

"Besides continued individual persecution by the Kurti regime, the Serbian Christian heritage in our southern province remains under threat," they said, requesting UK support for full implementation of agreements reached in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, especially when it comes to establishment of a community of Serb municipalities.

The discussion topics also included the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina following a recent resignation by High Representative Christian Schmidt, as well as integration processes conducted in southeastern Europe through initiatives such as the Berlin Process and Open Balkan.

The parties also discussed advancement of energy and transport infrastructure, cooperation in science and education, as well as establishment of closer ties in the IT sector, especially when it comes to artificial intelligence.