Nicosia can count on Belgrade’s full support when it comes to Cyprus’ national issues, Serbia’s top diplomat assured his Cypriot counterpart on Tuesday.
Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Duric made the remarks following talks on the island with his Cyprus counterpart Constantinos Kombos.
He said Nicosia “could count 100 per cent” on Serbia’s support for all major national issues of concern to Cyprus.
“We stand by you and the Cypriot people 100 per cent in your struggle,” Duric said. “If there is one nation in the world that completely understands how the people of Cyprus feel, it is the people of Serbia.”
The two foreign ministers reaffirmed their nations’ close ties and discussed prospects for further cooperation in the fields of tourism, defence, education, investments and research.
Duric conveyed his gratitude to Cyprus its support to his country;s desire to become a member of the European Union, which he called “a strategic objective for Serbia”.
Currently more than 65 per cent of Serbia’s exports go to the European market, he added.
“We want a full seat on the European table,” Duric added.
Serbia applied to join the EU in 2009 and has been a candidate for membership since 2012. While domestic support has cooled since 2014, international support for their accession is similarly mixed with concerns over Serbia’s claim over Kosovo, regional geopolitical tensions, foreign policy alignment with Russia, and domestic policies.
For his part, Kombos assured Duric of Cyprus’ steadfast support to Serbia’s EU bid. He said Cyprus stands ready to provide any technical assistance in this regard.
“We support the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina (Kosovo) being facilitated by the EU, and we welcome Serbia’s consistent and constructive commitment to it, which unfortunately is not reciprocated,” said Kombos.
He added that Cyprus has expressed “concern” at the impasse in the negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo and at the “unilateral and highly obstructive actions of Pristina”.
Serbia’s foreign minister later also met President Nikos Christodoulides.
