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New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday extended Republic Day greetings to the government and people of Serbia during his visit to Munich to attend the 62nd Munich Security Conference.The foreign minister earlier met with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric on the sidelines of Saturday’s meeting. Jaishankar said in a post on

The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in anAccording to an official press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Foreign Minister Marko Djuric met with Jaishankar during the MSC and discussed with him important issues of improving relations and global issues in a changing world.The meeting reaffirmed that India and Serbia share a traditional friendship dating back to the days of the Non-Aligned Movement and are committed to further strengthening all-round mutually beneficial cooperation, the release said. Djuric expressed satisfaction with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s upcoming participation in the Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit in New Delhi, stressing the importance of high-level contacts in promoting relations. He also invited Jaishankar to visit Serbia in the near future.During the meeting, Djuric thanked India for its consistent position on not recognizing Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence, and briefed India on the latest progress in the EU’s promotion of dialogue.Ministers agreed that there is scope for greater economic cooperation and collaboration in areas of mutual interest. According to the press release, Juric also invited India to participate in the 2027 Belgrade Expo and expressed his hope that India will be one of the countries that showcases its culture and innovation at the international expo. The interaction marks another step in ongoing diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Belgrade amid wider discussions at the Munich Security Conference.According to the MEA briefing, India and Serbia (formerly part of Yugoslavia), as co-founders of the Non-Aligned Movement, have traditionally enjoyed a deep friendship. In the following decades, the strong friendship continued, resulting in close and cordial relations between India and Serbia. In 2023, the two countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. India supports Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in principle and does not recognize Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence. India and Serbia share common views on many global issues and support each other in international forums. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Serbian Post jointly issued anniversary stamps in December 2023 as a token of friendship between the two countries. The images on the stamp are the Victor Monument in Belgrade and the Statue of Unity in India.