Greeting the Ambassador, Biljana Pantic Pilja said how pleased she was to have the opportunity to discuss future cooperation as well as introduce the Ambassador to part of the 49-member Parliamentary Friendship Group with Cyprus, formed in November of last year. The PFG Head opined that the relations between the two countries have always been at an enviable level and that Serbia attaches great importance to cooperation with Cyprus. She added that, in early April, she attended the meeting between Ivica Dacic and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, adding that a trilateral meeting between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Cyprus and Greece was held on the same day to discuss cooperation primarily the fields of the economy and tourism, as well as in the fields of education, culture and IT sector. Pantic Pilja also said that Serbia is closely monitoring the pandemic situation in Cyprus, adding that she was happy to hear that starting on 10 May vaccinated citizens may enter Cyprus, regardless of the country they come from.

The Ambassador said he was happy to be meeting some of the members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group, praising the well-organized vaccination process in Serbia. The Ambassador emphasized the special importance of the two countries’ bilateral cooperation and mutual support in international organizations. He underlined that Serbia can always count on the support of Cyprus and see it as a reliable partner, both at the diplomatic level and in the areas of economic cooperation, tourism, education and culture. The Ambassador also informed the attending about the coming parliamentary elections in Cyprus in May, and stated that the realization mutual visits of MPs will start as soon as the new assembly is formed.

The attending members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group took the opportunity to introduce themselves and point out the excellent communication and support in international organizations, such as the OSCE, Council of Europe, IPU, Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy, Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, regarding the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the two countries, Serbia’s European integration and other diplomatic issues.