Djuric, Odobescu meet in Bucharest

BUCHAREST - Serbian FM Marko Djuric met with Romanian FM Luminita Odobescu in Bucharest on Wednesday, thanking Romania for its principled support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia as well as for backing Serbia on the EU path.

Djuric noted that the two sides had agreed a series of concrete steps to advance their bilateral relations as well as a road map that would enable more intense political dialogue and a strengthening of bilateral ties.

He said Serbia was proud of the 145 years of its diplomatic relations with Romania and that Serbia and Romania had agreed to bolster ties and strengthen the position of the Serbian ethnic community in Romania and the Romanian ethnic community in Serbia, as well as to support each other on regional issues.

Djuric said he was pleased an agreement had been reached for Serbia and Romania to hold extensive consultations and meetings at ministerial level at least twice a year, as well as for the two MFAs to hold regular political and consular consultations and discussions about the position of the two ethnic communities.

He also thanked Romania for its principled support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia and for its principled understanding for the gravity of the position of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija.

"Today, I took the opportunity to inform our Romanian friends of the challenges faced by the Serb community in Kosovo-Metohija as a result of unilateral and uncoordinated moves by the Kurti regime. I conveyed Belgrade's full commitment to solving all problems through dialogue and implementation of existing EU-facilitated agreements, and we need the support of European partners, including Romania, to protect something that represents our shared values - the human, political, economic and other rights of our people," Djuric said.

He also thanked Romania for supporting Serbia's EU path and noted that Serbia would by 2027 formally complete all reforms required for EU membership.

Djuric also said building a motorway to Romania via Vrsac, northeastern Serbia, was a key priority in bilateral cooperation.