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Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System Date: 26 Aug 2010 Title: SA, Serbia to strengthen relations -------------------- Pretoria - Political, economic and cultural relations between South Africa and Serbia are expected to be strengthened later this month when International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane hosts Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Vuk Jeremic. According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the two ministers will meet for bilateral discussions on Monday. "The visit will also see the two countries reviewing their bilateral relations and strengthening their political, economic and cultural relations and facilitate the identification of priority areas for cooperation in line with the two countries' national development priorities," DIRCO said. Jeremic's visit will also present a platform for the two countries to share their experiences, both from their country's and region's perspective on issues such as peace, democratisation and development processes. Other issues that are likely to be discussed will be draft agreements on waiver of visa on diplomatic and official passport holders, the avoidance of double taxation and a memorandum of understanding on law enforcement cooperation. Education, skills development, issues related to the United Nations Security Council, and Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence will also be talking points during the meeting between Nkoana-Mashabane and Jeremic. South Africa and Serbia share similar values on many international issues and have supported each other's candidatures for non-permanent seats at the United Nations Security Council and on the Human Rights Council. "Besides its EU ambitions, Serbia is using all available diplomatic and legal means to continue to fight to preserve the territorial integrity over Kosovo and one priority is the regional relations, including protecting the rights of Serbs in the Balkans," DIRCO said. Kosovo was a southern autonomous province within Serbia before the breakup of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Albanian-dominated region was plunged into ethnic conflicts in 1990s. Kosovo was placed under United Nations administration in mid-1999 and issued a unilateral declaration on independence from Serbia in February 2008. - BuaNews |
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