PFG Head Goran Kovacevic said that the traditionally friendly diplomatic relations with Australia date back to 1966. He said that good diplomatic relations with Australia are especially important in view of the fact that according to official data 70,000 Serb nationals live in Australia, though the unofficial number is far greater. He also added that in the coming period considerable efforts would be put into intensifying parliamentary cooperation as one of the three pillars of cooperation.

Australian Ambassador Julia Feeney said that the ongoing projects such as “Jadar” with the Australian “Rio Tinto” in Loznica and “Glac” between the Archaeological Institute in Belgrade and the University of Sydney are an indicator of the two countries’ commitment to the intensification of cooperation both in the field of economy and culture. The Ambassador also spoke about said the two countries’ educational cooperation through scholarships and student exchanges and added that Australian companies are greatly interested in investing into Serbia.

The officials said that the 123 million Australian dollars worth of trade between the two countries appears to follow an upward trend and mentioned a continuation of the dialogue on arranging a social security agreement.