On 18 February, H.E. Ambassador Nebojša Košutić hosted a reception on the occasion of the National Day and Armed Forces Day of the Republic of Serbia. It took place in a building of a well-known international company, which was founded almost 40 years ago by Philip Zepter, who has Serbian roots.
The ceremony began with the Serbian and Polish anthems sung by the Varslavia choir.
Marko Djurić, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, was the first to address the guests in a video message. The next speaker was H.E. Ambassador Nebojša Košutić, who thanked the guests for coming. He began his speech with the following words:
– Today we celebrate the 190th anniversary of the Serbia’s adoption of the first modern constitution and the 221st anniversary of the beginning of the Serbian struggle for freedom during the first Serbian uprising against the Ottoman Empire. However, we were not as successful as our Polish friends, who were the first in Europe to adopt their constitution on 3 May 1791. Nevertheless, compared to many other countries, I am sure that we can still be proud of the fact that Serbia was one of the first European countries to recognise the importance of the principles of constitutionality, the rule of law and the sovereignty of the people, and to find the means and the strength to adopt such an important act at such an early stage in the development of a modern state.
Later in his speech, His Excellency the Ambassador emphasised the strong ties that bind the two peoples. He also mentioned the Polish national heroes, Zawisza Czarny and Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, who were instrumental in helping the Serbian people not only to regain their freedom and independence, but also in defining the first national programme called ‘Nacertanije’.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1919, the two countries have maintained friendly diplomatic relations, and have cooperated in many areas. Today, Poland is one of Serbia’s top ten foreign trade partners, with an annual turnover of more than €2 billion.
His Excellency Nebojša Košutić also mentioned Serbia’s 25-year effort to become a full member of the European Union. This has been the main foreign policy objective of all successive Serbian governments. At the same time, it is a goal that Serbia is obliged to achieve by the end of next year.
H.E. the Ambassador then presented Serbia’s position on Kosovo and Metohija, stressing its historical ties with the region, its readiness for dialogue and its opposition to violations of international law and disregard for the human rights of Serbs in Kosovo.
At the same time, His Excellency Nebojša Košutić underlined the role of the Serbian Armed Forces, which has the dual function of defending the country and building international trust. The Serbian Armed Forces are developing cooperation with other armies and participating in UN and EU missions, which strengthens their operational capabilities and confidence among partners.
After discussing political relations, H.E. the Ambassador turned to the economic issues facing his country.
Serbia is the largest country in the Western Balkans, and the EU is its most important trading partner and investor. Serbia is also the EU’s largest trading partner in the region. Despite all the external challenges and turbulence, Serbia has managed to maintain stable economic growth, with a tangible GDP growth of 4%. Serbia accounts for half of the Western Balkans’ total GDP and attracts almost 63% of all foreign direct investment in the region. Serbia’s GDP has doubled in the last 10 years, with the IT sector being the most important part of the economy’s growth. The sector has grown 8-fold in the last 10 years and today Serbia can boast that it is one of the main pillars of its economy.
These valuable achievements will be crowned by the organisation of the EXPO 2027 specialised exhibition in Belgrade, for which Serbia is seriously preparing and plans to invest of around 17 billion euros in the necessary infrastructure. His Excellency also added that Belgrade is looking forward to the event and hopes to be a good host to many countries of the world, including Poland, which is a very important partner for the Serbs.
The third speaker was Agnieszka Kowalska, Director of the European Policy Department at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed by Tanja Miščević, Minister of European Integration of the Republic of Serbia. Director Agnieszka Kowalska stressed the importance that the Republic of Poland attaches to the development of relations with the Republic of Serbia. She recalled Poland’s commitment and support for the European integration of the Republic of Serbia, which will continue during the current Polish EU Presidency. In her turn, Tanja Miščević, taking advantage of her stay in our country, informed about the current state of European integration of the Republic of Serbia and emphasised that EU membership is a key foreign policy goal of the Serbian government.
After the official part, the guests were invited to listen to a concert by the Varslavia choir conducted by Miłosz Bogić. The concert gave the ceremony a unique character and underlined the importance of the event.
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