Djuric: Harald V's reign marked by development of Serbia-Norway relations

OSLO - The reign of King Harald V of Norway was marked by growth and development of Serbia-Norway relations, Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Wednesday after attending the monarch's funeral in Oslo.

In a statement to Serbian reporters, Djuric said Harald V would be remembered in Serbia as someone who had paid a tribute to Serbs killed in WWII.

"His reign was marked by growth and development of the relations between our two countries, but we will remember him as someone who paid a tribute to our victims in WWII, a period when people from Nazi-occupied Serbia, as well as from the so-called Independent State of Croatia, were brought to concentration camps here in Norway," the minister noted.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic visited Norway in 2022 and was received by Harald V with the highest state honours, he said.

Djuric noted that Serbia and Norway would next year mark 110 years since the establishment of their diplomatic relations and that Norway had a sizable Serbian diaspora, which he said indicated that the relations between the two countries were characterised by mutual respect and support.