At the beginning of the meeting, the Head of the Friendship Group Parliamentary Prof. Dr Vladimir Djukic gave the opportunity to the PFG members to introduce themselves to the Ambassador, saying that the Group has 34 members and expressing satisfaction that there is a friendship group with Serbia in the Parliament of Morocco, stressing the importance of parliamentary ties and diplomatic relations. He pointed out that 65 years of diplomatic contacts, are a guarantee for the deepening cooperation between the two countries at all levels. Referring to the visits of top state officials in the last few years, he expressed belief that the two countries will deepen cooperation, to their mutual benefit. Djukic took the opportunity to thank Morocco for its principled stance on Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and the support it provides to Serbia on this issue in international forums. He added that Serbia is a pillar of stability in the region and struggling in every way possible to remain in that position, while respecting international law and dialogue in negotiations. The PFG Head noted that there is room to strengthen cooperation in numerous areas, and that the traditionally strong and friendly relations should be accompanied by well-developed economic cooperation. He said that Morocco and Serbia can improve cooperation in the field of education, information technology, tourism and economy. He added that Morocco can be a bridge for Serbia to the African market, just as Serbia can be a link between Morocco and the Balkans.

Ambassador Belhaj agreed that the bilateral relations between the two countries are following an upward trajectory and that the ties Serbia and Morocco are building point to a strategic partnership. "Serbia is one of the closest European countries to Morocco", said the Ambassador, adding that parliamentarians are a pillar of friendly relations and agreeing that the exchange of visits between officials contributed to even stronger cooperation between the countries. He said that his attention is currently focused on the visit of the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs to Serbia and the session of the Mixed Committee aimed at promoting economic cooperation. Ambassador Belhaj said that he would continue to support Serbia in international forums, such as UNESCO, Interpol, as well as La Francophonie and other international institutions. He emphasised that Morocco would not change its beliefs and values that both countries share.

At the MPs’ interest, the Ambassador also spoke about the potential for cooperation in the field of tourism and education, stating that at an annual level, an average of 5,000 Serbian citizens visit Morocco, and the officials agreed that this number could be much higher by introducing a direct flight between the two countries’ capitals. The Ambassador said that Morocco and Serbia enjoy cooperation in the field of education and scholarships for students, which, they all agreed, could be expanded.

The meeting was also attended by PFG members MA Dejan Radenkovic, Dubravka Kralj, Andrijana Avramov, Usame Zukorlic, Marija Jovanovic and Haji Milorad Stosic.