An archive photo
MINSK, 23 May (BelTA) – Belarus and Serbia are set to deepen inter-parliamentary cooperation, Chairman of the Standing Commission on International Affairs and National Security of the Council of the Republic Sergei Aleinik said as he met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Serbia to the Republic of Belarus Ilina Vukajlović, BelTA has learned.
“I am glad to have the opportunity to meet with you again. I would like to note that we have recently seen an uptick in intergovernmental and inter-parliamentary contacts. A number of members of the National Assembly of Serbia took part in monitoring the presidential election [in Belarus], which we appreciate. And, of course, the latest visit and the invitation we have received confirms our commitment to expanding and deepening inter-parliamentary cooperation,” Sergei Aleinik said.
According to him, the two countries have a lot in common. “We are bound by bonds of friendship, Slavic brotherhood. We use similar approaches to defending our national sovereignty and independence, to pursuing national interests on international platforms. We are consistent in our support for the territorial integrity of Serbia and have demonstrated this more than once on various international platforms, not only at the bilateral level,” the parliamentarian noted.
“We are interested in promoting not only inter-parliamentary dialogue, but also specific areas of bilateral cooperation. Trade and economic cooperation shows some positive dynamic. Of course, we are doing our best given the sanctions, the political pressure on both Serbia and Belarus. But a lot of potential remains untapped. I think that we need to resume the work of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation, as it could help us find additional opportunities to ramp up interaction in trade, economy, investment, and perhaps in other areas,” the chairman of the commission emphasized.
“We are open to dialogue and are ready for concrete action. There is great potential in the social and humanitarian sphere: education, healthcare, culture, sports, tourism. And, of course, we, as a body of territorial representation, are interested in building and deepening inter-regional ties. By now, Belarus and Serbia have 17 inter-regional agreements. We need to make the most of this potential,” noted Sergei Aleinik.
Follow us on:
