Vucic: Relations with Czechia extremely good

BELGRADE - Serbia and Czechia maintain extremely good relations and the ties between the two nations are particularly close, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said after a meeting with Czech PM Petr Fiala in Belgrade, noting that Serbian exports to Czechia had risen by almost tenfold in the past 12 years.

Fiala is on an official visit to Serbia.

"I am greatly honoured that we can host Petr Fiala, PM of the Czech Republic, a country with which we maintain extremely good relations, an excellent tradition and particular closeness with the Czech people. The tete-a-tete discussions were very substantial and constructive, I was able to learn a lot from PM Fiala," Vucic said at a joint press conference with Fiala.

Vucic said the meeting with Fiala had also addressed recent developments, US elections and the situation in the EU.

"I thanked our Czech guest for the significant support the Czech Republic is providing to the Republic of Serbia on its European path," Vucic said.

"I would like to inform you that our exports to Czechia have risen by almost tenfold in the past 12 years. So, starting from around 100 million (euros), we have surpassed 1.1 bln worth of exports to Czechia. Our imports have now increased, too - they were up by 4.7 pct in the first nine months (of 2024) and exports were up by 10.7 pct, and I believe we will continue on that path," Vucic said.

He said Czechia had moved up from being Serbia's 20th- largest external trade partner to the eighth or ninth position.

"I believe the significance of the economic exchange with Czechia will grow more and more," Vucic added.