Đurić: Israel is one of Serbia’s closest friends and key strategic partners

“The relations between the Republic of Serbia and the State of Israel are founded not only on decades of strong cooperation between our two states, but also on centuries of close, friendly, and brotherly ties between the Serbian and Jewish peoples, bound together by shared suffering, values, and an unwavering belief in the future. Serbia regards Israel as one of its closest friends and key strategic partners, which is why it is with great satisfaction that we are today discussing bilateral, economic, and political cooperation,” Minister Đurić emphasized.

The Serbian Foreign Minister conveyed that the meeting also addressed the initiation of a strategic dialogue between the two countries to enhance economic cooperation, through inter-agency collaboration and the establishment of a future joint economic committee.

“I would recall that Israel’s economy is among the most dynamic and innovative in the world, while Serbia’s economy is one of the most dynamic, innovative, and fastest-growing in this part of Europe, having doubled its GDP in just over a decade,” Minister Đurić noted.

He further stressed that Serbia and Israel share common positions on historical issues — the Holocaust, the Jewish community, cultural heritage, and the preservation of remembrance of places of Jewish suffering.

“This is something Serbia has always attached great importance to and will continue to do in the future. Historical revisionism is a challenge both of our states face, and we have a shared goal of resisting such attempts,” he underlined.

Minister Đurić also briefed his Israeli counterpart on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and the difficult conditions endured by the Serbian people there.
“Our bilateral relations continue to advance. This meeting took place just hours after U.S. President Trump held an important meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, of historic significance,” Minister Đurić said, adding that Serbia welcomes and supports President Trump’s peace initiative and calls for the immediate release of all hostages by Hamas, as well as for the full implementation of the proposed agreement.

He reminded that Serbian-Israeli citizen Alon Ohel has been held in captivity for more than eight hundred days, under conditions that are intolerably harsh and inhumane, stressing that there can be no justification for the hostages not to be released immediately.

Minister Đurić expressed gratitude to his Israeli guests for their friendship, cooperation, and all that has been accomplished thus far:
“I believe that Serbia and Israel share much and will share many future successes that will benefit our citizens, honor the victims our nations have endured throughout history, and ensure that future generations in both our countries may look to the future with security and confidence. Dear friends, once again, I wish you to feel at home here in Belgrade and in Serbia, and I look forward to further strengthening our relations,” the Serbian Foreign Minister concluded.

Minister Gideon Sa’ar, in turn, thanked Minister Đurić, the Government of Serbia, and President Vučić for their strong and genuine friendship. He emphasized that over past decades, partnerships have been built across many fields between the two states. Referring to the painful yet glorious history uniting the two peoples, Minister Sa’ar expressed special appreciation for Serbia’s preservation of its Jewish community and its culture of remembrance of the Holocaust. He underlined that Israel sees Serbia as a strategic anchor in the Western Balkans and considers further strengthening the friendship between the two nations of utmost importance.

On this occasion, Ministers Đurić and Sa’ar signed Memoranda of Understanding between the two foreign ministries on bilateral consultations and diplomatic training, as well as a Cooperation Program between the governments of Serbia and Israel for the period 2025–2028 in the fields of education, science, culture, youth, and sports. Minister Đurić also signed the Declaration on Survivors.