National Assembly Speaker Nebojsa Stefanovic said that Serbia considers Nigeria a friendly country and would wish to deepen cooperation with it in all spheres, especially the economic, deeming that the traditional friendship between Serbia and Nigeria should be used to strengthen economic cooperation. Trade cooperation is currently very low, continued Stefanovic adding that Serbia has excellent potential for cooperation with Nigeria, especially as regards the construction and processing industry.

The National Assembly Speaker stressed that, in the previous, period Serbia has proved that it wanted to renew old friendships and its dedication to cooperation with the countries of the former Third World, African and Arab countries in particular.

Stefanovic was especially thankful to Nigeria which, despite the pressure, showed support for Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty i.e. as regards the Kosovo-Metohija issue.

The Nigerian Ambassador, Mr Koko thanked the National Assembly Speaker for the reception reminding him of their first meeting, when he met with the ambassadors of the Arab-African Group at the initiative of the National Assembly last year in Vrnjacka Banja. Ambassador Koko also recalled the period of stagnation in the relations between Serbia and Nigeria after the closure of the Embassy in Belgrade due to economic reasons. Stressing that Nigeria believes Serbia to be an important and friendly country, the Embassy was reopened, and the Ambassador hopes that the relations will follow an upward trend. The friendship between the two countries, he stressed, dates back to the 1960s and their joint endeavours within the Non-Aligned Movement.

The Nigerian Ambassador noted that Serbia and Nigeria had signed a considerable number of documents on cooperation some of which have not been ratified, which would, he believes, after ratification, speed up the two countries’ cooperation process.

Speaking of the need for closer parliamentary cooperation, the National Assembly Speaker, invited that Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives to visit Serbia, which the Nigerian side accepted with pleasure, again noting the existence of appropriate conditions for cooperation at all levels within which, stressed Ambassador Koko, the Nigerian Ministry of Power was currently seeking a suitable Serbian partner.