President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping signed today in Belgrade the Joint Statement of the two countries on deepening and raising the comprehensive strategic partnership and building the community of Serbia and China with a common future in the new era.
After the meeting, Vučić expressed his gratitude to Chinese President Xi Jinping for the support that country provides to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, and said that his country supports the principle of “one China”.
He said that in 2021, 2022 and 2023, China is the biggest investor in Serbia and that exports to the People’s Republic of China have increased 140 times in the last ten years.
“Our trade exchange, direct trade between our countries in the last ten years, has increased as much as eight times. Investments in the Republic of Serbia in the previous ten years have increased 30 times from the People’s Republic of China,” said Vučić.
He added that Serbia and China are moving from strategic relations, to which they succeeded in raising the bilateral relations of the two countries, to a community with a common future in the new era.
“It is the highest form of cooperation between the two countries and I am proud that today, as the President of the Republic of Serbia, I was able to sign such a statement with President Xi,” said Vučić.
At the ceremony in the Palace of Serbia, 28 documents on cooperation were exchanged. Vučić said that the Free Trade Agreement with the People’s Republic of China guarantees Serbia the placement of goods and services.
“And in the next five to ten years, we will be able to export almost 95 percent of the products that we make, that we produce in our country to the People’s Republic of China without any tariffs, without any duties,” said Vučić.
He added that he sent a request to the President of China to open a production plant in Serbia for the production of trains, which China is very famous for. He also added that Serbia is negotiating with a Chinese company about flying taxis that they want to establish by 2027.
“In all areas of social life, we see the possibility for enormous progress – from the fields of culture and sports, to our finances, further overall progress,” said Vučić and added:
“No one can break the iron friendship between China and Serbia. We are loyal people, and we are grateful to you for always standing by Serbia when it was in trouble. Serbia will stand by China even when the People’s Republic of China is in trouble.”
The President of China said that he was honored and impressed by the magnificent welcome in Belgrade, the hospitality and friendship of the Serbian people, which confirms that the relations between the two countries are at a high level and that there is a sincere and steely friendship between the two peoples.
“In China, we say that mountains cannot meet, but people can. In China, we say that great geographical distances cannot separate people when there are mutual affinities,” the Chinese president said.
Xi said that Serbia was committed to independence and defended its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, and that the country deserves the respect of the international community.
“The steely friendship between our countries has only strengthened, even in this changing international dynamic. This friendship is rooted in history, and indeed it enjoys strong political foundations, common interests and firm support of the people,” Xi said.
In the end, he said that China wants to work with Serbia and continue in the spirit of “steel friendship”.
“We will work together with Serbia, to defend our fundamental and long-term, long-term interests. And when it comes to various international developments, we want to build that community with a common future in the new era and this is part of our efforts to contribute to the community for a common future for the whole of humanity,” the Chinese president concluded, AA writes.
Photo: Anadolu Agency
