The officials agreed that the relations between the two countries are following an upward trend, expressing belief that overall cooperation would continue and improve in the future. “We are especially pleased with the economic cooperation. Slovenia is one of our most important economic partners – both in terms of trade, which has been improving year after year, and in terms of investments which are progressing dynamically in both directions”, said Dr Orlic.

The Speaker of the Slovene National Assembly confirmed that the Republic of Slovenia would continue to provide support to the Republic of Serbia on the path to full membership in the European Union, which Dr Orlic thanked her for. Speaking of the situation in Kosovo-Metohija, she praised Serbia’s efforts aimed at fostering dialogue, preserving peace and stability.

The parliament speakers expressed their willingness to further strengthen parliamentary relations, both through personal advocacy and through extremely rich interparliamentary activities and an intensive exchange of visits. Dr Orlic pointed out that the Memorandum of Cooperation signed in 2018 between the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia is an excellent basis to foster even better bonds between the two parliaments. He informed his host that the National Assembly’s Parliamentary Friendship Group with the Republic of Slovenia is one of biggest in the Serbian Parliament and underlined the importance of continuing the intensive contacts with colleagues from the Slovenian Parliament.

In the course of the meeting, Dr Orlic thanked the host for the warm welcome and hospitality, taking the opportunity to extend an invitation to the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia for a return visit, which she accepted with pleasure.

During his visit to Slovenia, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia also met with members of the Slovenian National Assembly’s Committee on Foreign Policy and Committee on EU Affairs, as well as the members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Serbia. In the course of the meetings at the Slovenian Parliament, he informed his hosts in detail about the current situation in Kosovo-Metohija and the efforts Belgrade is making to preserve peace and stability for everyone in the region, even though it is constantly faced with dangerous unilateral moves by Pristina, as evidenced by the acknowledgments of European officials, as well as world media, addressed to the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, because of his wise policy and contribution to preserving peace. He also spoke about the position and status of the Serbs in Slovenia, expressing his belief that the friends of our people would advocate that they be improved.

The meetings in Ljubljana were attended by the Head of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with the Republic of Slovenia Milija Miletic and the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region Milimir Vujadinovic, who also confirmed their personal determination to improve overall interparliamentary cooperation.