Starović: Africa will always have a friend and cooperation partner in Serbia

State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nemanja Starović spoke at today’s reception marking Africa Day, held at the Palace of Serbia, noting that Serbia was proud of its traditional friendship and partnership with African countries and that it was looking forward to further strengthening cooperation with them.

Recalling that Africa Day was celebrated in memory of 25 May 1963 when the Organisation of African Unity was founded, State Secretary Starović said he was pleased over the fact that this day had been marked in Serbia as the Friendship Day with the Peoples of Africa since 2017. He underlined that it was a symbol of Serbia`s sincere wish to nurture and develop relations with African countries, dating back to the period of the SFRY and the founding of the Non-Aligned Movement. “I am very happy that our African friends do not forget the past and, especially, the great and complete support that Yugoslavia had provided to the anti-colonial struggle of African countries. Despite the break-up of Yugoslavia and the great changes that Serbia has gone through, which meant redefining its foreign policy priorities in a changed international context, Serbia has continued to foster the inherited friendly relations with African countries”, State Secretary Starović added, highlighting that Foreign Minister Selaković's recent African tours had showed Serbia's increased commitment to developing encompassing political, economic, and cultural ties with African countries.

At the end of his address, State Secretary Starović also stressed that Serbia was looking forward to the progress of the African continent and that it was supporting the efforts made by African countries to achieve their strategic goals of progress and development.