The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, received today in two separate visits, the Ambassador of the Syrian Arab Republic to Serbia, Majed Shadoud and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Span to Serbia, Inigo de Palacio Espana.

Their talk particularly focused on the need to further inter-parliamentary cooperation, and the Syrian Ambassador invited the National Assembly Speaker to visit his country next year as head of a parliamentary delegation, which was accepted with pleasure.

Ambassador Majed Shadoud stated that Syria advocates peace, noninterference in other countries’ interior affairs, abiding by international law and UNSC decisions and therefore does not recognise the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo-Metohija.

In their talk, both the National Assembly Speaker and the Syrian Ambassador expressed the wish for Serbia and Syria to develop good relations and improve bilateral cooperation in the field of economy, education, culture and other.

Expressing her gratitude for the understanding, the National Assembly Speaker stressed how important it is for Serbia that Syria as an influential country in the Arab world, supports its territorial integrity and efforts to resolve the Kosovo-Metohija issue in accordance with international law.

The Ambassador of Spain in Belgrade, Inigo de Palacio Espana conveyed his Government’s position to the National Assembly Speaker, stating that Spain supports Serbia in resolving the Kosovo-Metohija issue and its accession to the European Union, stressing that these are two separate processes and that his country will defy their possible connection and conditioning by Brussels that Serbia give up Kosovo in order to join the EU more quickly.

Also, the Spanish Ambassador estimated that Spain views an agreement of Belgrade and Pristina on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija as the only acceptable solution, and if it is not possible, then international law and UNSC resolutions must be honoured.

The National Assembly Speaker and the Spanish Ambassador noted that it is necessary to improve overall relations between their two countries. They also pointed out the great potential for Spain’s further investment into Serbia on the economic level, as well as the need to strengthen parliamentary cooperation through friendship groups, committee cooperation and other types of contact between the members of the two parliaments.