Selaković: African countries do not forget old friendships

Speaking as a guest on “Pink” television, Selaković pointed out that Serbia has a serious diplomatic presence in Africa, and that it has embassies in as many as 13 capitals on that continent, which none of our neighbors can boast about.

"Our African friends really appreciate that presence, and my appearance at the funeral of the first president of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda, who was an icon of the African fight against colonialism, won great sympathy for Serbia and its President Aleksandar Vučić", said Selaković, who met with as many as seven heads of state in Lusaka.

The Minister specified that he talked with his interlocutors in Lusaka about political cooperation, the support that African countries provide us regarding the Kosovo issue and in international organizations, but also about cooperation in the field of economy, fight against COVID and the 60th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement Conference in Belgrade.

Selaković emphasized that marking the anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement Conference in Belgrade will not only be an opportunity to evoke memories, but also to perceive what Serbia's relations with the member states of that movement are today.

In October, as he announced, in Belgrade, at the gathering organized together with Azerbaijan, about 30 heads of state are expected and more than a hundred delegations.

"One thing is the 60th anniversary of the Belgrade Conference, and another important thing is our keeping in touch with African countries, but also with people who received their education here. We have started creating a database of people who studied here", Selaković said, adding that in this academic year, the government has determined close to 200 scholarships for foreign students.

"Our friends appreciate having the opportunity to send their best students here to study, and those people will be the best promoters of Serbia", Selaković explained.

The head of Serbian diplomacy pointed out that President Vučić is paying serious attention to the African continent, and that the Serbian embassy in Ghana should be opened soon.

"It is important that we understand our capital and the potential of Africa, and I would be proud if I had the opportunity to contribute to the organization of President Vučić's tour of Africa, where we are always welcome. Many heads of African countries have also expressed a desire to come to Belgrade", Selaković said.

Minister Selaković pointed out that we must work much harder to strengthen economic ties with African countries, because they used to be very strong, and that strengthening can be facilitated by Africans who once studied in Belgrade, as well as by our people who lead successful companies across Africa today.

He pointed out that he had received assurances from his African interlocutors that they would not change their position on non-recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called "Kosovo", because many countries on that continent themselves have serious internal problems with separatist movements, and in insisting on international law, they see a chance for the survival and consolidation of their states.

Recalling the fact that today marks 3,000 days since the signing of the Brussels Agreement, Selaković said that it was a serious foreign policy success of our country, after years of withdrawal.

Selaković reminded that the Brussels Agreement was preceded by the unilateral declaration of independence in Pristina, as well as a series of catastrophic failures of the leadership at the time, which Pristina and those who support it still refer to even today.

"The first barrier to that failing streak was the Brussels agreement", said Selaković, noting that President Vučić, as in a game of chess, wisely predicted the moves of the other side, and that today, 3,000 days later, our negotiating position is still based on the necessity of its implementation.

He explained that Serbia remains committed to seeking a peaceful solution through dialogue, but that we should be aware that Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija will not voluntarily give up what they call their independence and what came about thanks to the sponsorship of some powerful states.

Referring to the attempts of the Albanians to appropriate the Serbian cultural, historical and spiritual heritage in Kosovo and Metohija, Selaković warned that work is being done on historical engineering, as they want to prove the Albanian presence in Kosovo and Metohija before the 17th century.

"It is up to us to do our job, to educate our children and introduce them to the truth, and to do that in a world where we will organize large exhibitions about our cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija", Selaković said.