Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric (BETAPHOTO/MINISTARSTVO SPOLJNIH POSLOVA SRBIJE)
The foreign ministers of Serbia and Israel, Marko Djuric and Gideon Sar, respectively, announced in Jerusalem on April 28 steps toward a free trade agreement, stressing the deepening of ties at the start of a new strategic dialogue between the two states.
At a joint news conference Sar said that relations between Israel and Serbia "have historical depth" and "have withstood the test of challenging times" and lauded Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's leadership and Belgrade's support for Israel since Hamas's attacks on Oct. 7, 2023 and during the war in Gaza that ensued.
"We are negotiating a free trade agreement," Sar said, adding that joint economic committees would soon meet and that Israel planned on establishing a permanent economic mission in Belgrade.
He announced that a Serbia-Israel Chamber of Commerce would be established on April 29 and that cooperation in the areas of defense, the economy, tourism, agriculture and other sectors would be expanded.
Djuric said that "countries with similar views, like Serbia and Israel, have a national interest in improving relations" and that the two sides were launching a formal strategic dialogue after a year of preparation.
"There will be an agreement on free trade, which will open wide the doors for Serbian and Israeli companies," Djuric said, who thanked Israel for its participation in the Expo 2027 in Belgrade.
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