Vucic: Parliamentary cooperation can be additional impetus to Serbia-Georgia relations

TBILISI - On the second day of his official visit to Georgia, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili to discuss further advancement of Serbia-Georgia relations through strengthening of parliamentary cooperation and more frequent exchanges at all levels, and noted that parliamentary cooperation could lend an additional impetus to overall bilateral relations.

"I am confident that parliamentary cooperation can lend an additional impetus to overall relations between our countries, to better ties between the institutions, the economies and the citizens of Serbia and Georgia," Vucic posted on Instagram.

He added that the meeting with Papuashvili had also addressed the significance of preserving peace, stability and respect for international law, as well as the experiences of Serbia and Georgia on the EU path.

"Connected by a deep mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law, our states continue to build bridges of trust and cooperation," Vucic wrote in the post.

Vucic: Serbs see Georgians as brotherly nation, we must build ties in future

TBILISI - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday the Serbs saw Georgians not only as a friendly but also as a brotherly nation, and noted that Serbia must build ties with Georgia in the future.

"I am very happy to be the first (Serbian) president paying an official visit to this beautiful country a little more than 30 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Georgia. I am honoured by the exceptional hospitality, and thank you endlessly for that. We see Georgia not only as a friendly nation, but also as a brotherly one," Vucic said at a press conference with Georgian PM Irakli Kobahidze after they met in Tbilisi.

Vucic said the Serbs and Georgians had long Orthodox Christian traditions and that he was especially happy to have had an audience with Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Shio III, from whom he noted he was able to learn much about history and the fraternal Orthodox Christian ties between the Serbs and Georgians.

"But I was also able to understand the looking to the future and the ties we must build in the future. Thank you, dear friend, for the fact that, always and everywhere, wherever we met, on the margins of the European Political Community, at meetings, all other meetings around Europe and the world, we have always understood each other's policy," Vucic told Kobahidze.

Kobahidze: Vucic's visit crucial for Georgia-Serbia relations

TBILISI - Georgian PM Irakli Kobahidze said on Tuesday in Tbilisi Aleksandar Vucic's visit to Georgia was the first trip to the country by a Serbian president and a crucial moment for Georgia-Serbia bilateral relations.

At a press conference with Vucic, Kobahidze said Serbia had a strong leader who was safeguarding the territorial integrity and independence of Serbia, strengthening Serbia and doing his best to protect the country.

Kobahidze said he was truly honoured to be hosting Vucic and that Georgia and Serbia maintained mutual respect and a long-standing mutual tradition.

Georgia also has a centuries-old Christian past and values it shares with Serbia, he noted.

"In that sense, I would really have to highlight the special efforts by President Vucic to make Serbia a country that is looking after religious and cultural heritage in a stable manner, which is truly appreciated in the context of all the challenges we are facing. Of course, we will be strengthening our bilateral relations further and continuing to lend an impetus to deepening them further," Kobahidze said.

He noted that Serbia and Georgia understood very well the fundamental meaning of independence and safeguarding thereof, and thanked Vucic for supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.

"I would also like to note that, naturally, Georgia strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia. I am truly delighted we had an opportunity today to discuss key topics on our bilateral agenda, to discuss the great opportunities of our shared future, and we will also intensify bilateral visits," Kobahidze said.

He said a decision to open a Serbian embassy in Georgia was very important and an exceptional decision by Vucic that would make it possible to strengthen bilateral relations further.

"We discussed bilateral trade and cooperation in various sectors and, in that sense, I think we have a great potential that should be fully harnessed. Also, I would like to welcome the fact we are making progress on building mutual trust further. We agreed on some concrete issues, and then we will be ready to sign a FTA that will be mutually beneficial for the economies of our countries, for the development of our countries, and for deepening further the economic relations between our two nations," Kobahidze said.

He said the meeting with Vucic had addressed transport, logistics, ties and development of connectivity and noted that Georgia stood ready to deepen its relations with Serbia to fully seize the current transit and trade opportunities between Europe and Asia.

Kobahidze said they had also discussed EU integration and that the two countries were connected by a shared vision on the EU integration path but also faced shared challenges and that, in that sense, it was very important for them to have bilateral experience-sharing and the closest possible cooperation and coordination.

Vucic, Kobahidze discuss strengthening of bilateral relations, economic cooperation

TBILISI - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who is on an official visit to Georgia, met with Georgian PM Irakli Kobahidze on Tuesday to discuss further strengthening of bilateral relations and economic cooperation, and said he believed a period of more concrete cooperation and stronger political understanding between the two countries was ahead.

In an Instagram post, Vucic thanked Kobahidze for a cordial welcome and an exchange on further strengthening of bilateral relations, economic cooperation, new business initiatives, ties in transport and tourism, as well as global and regional challenges.

"I believe that a period of even more concrete cooperation, greater presence of our companies, stronger political understanding and a friendship benefitting the citizens of both countries is ahead of us," Vucic posted.