MA Milovan Drecun said that Serbia and Ukraine are friendly countries, sharing close ties that date back to the 18th century. He stressed that Serbia is committed to further developing and improving this cooperation, especially between the parliaments, emphasising the importance of parliamentary diplomacy, which adds to the development of political relations, as well as relations in the fields of economy and culture.

Drecun expressed his regret for the current situation in Ukraine, pointing out that Serbia itself had experienced difficult moments during the 1990s and the NATO aggression against our country. He said that Serbia's position on the war in Ukraine is unambiguous and clearly expressed in the National Security Council’s Conclusion, adopted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia on 27 February 2022.

He stressed that Serbia is committed to respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of every state, as one of the most important principles of international law, and at the same time thanked Ukraine for its principled position on the issue of Kosovo-Metohija and for supporting Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The Head of the PFG with Ukraine also pointed out that the Republic of Serbia had supported the resolutions, declarations and decisions in the UN, OSCE and the EU concerning the situation in Ukraine, stressing that our country is an advocate for peaceful resolution of disputes and that it supports all efforts aimed at negotiations, however, when considering the introduction of restrictive measures against any country, including the Russian Federation, it will be guided exclusively by the protection of its own vital economic and political interests.

In the course of the conversation, Drecun expressed the hope that the war and the suffering of the people would be stopped as soon as possible and that Ukraine would rebuild and resume normal life. He particularly emphasised Serbia's readiness to participate and help in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.

The members of the Ukrainian parliamentary delegation, Ihor Kopytin and Fedor Venislavsky, thanked Serbia for its principled stance and support for resolutions and declarations in the UN and other international organisations. They also indicated that they understand the Serbia’s specific position in the current circumstances, expressing their belief that both Serbia and Ukraine have a common future in the EU. Kopytin and Venislavsky, as well as Ukrainian Ambassador to Serbia Volodymyr Tolkach, thanked Serbia for its humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

The officials agreed that it is extremely important to further deepen interparliamentary cooperation, especially through regular contacts between the members of parliamentary friendship groups, as well as through cooperation on issues of mutual interest at a multilateral level, within international parliamentary organisations and forums. They also agreed that there is room to increase economic exchange between our two countries.

Drecun also emphasised Serbia's readiness to support Ukraine's European integration, by sharing its knowledge and experience of the none-too-easy process.