The President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou met in Belgrade with her Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic. The official welcoming ceremony took place in front of the government building “Palace of Serbia” with the playing of the national anthems of the two countries and the rendering of honors by the Presidential Guard.

During the meeting, bilateral relations, the situation in the wider region of South/Eastern Europe, the European perspective of Serbia, the energy sector, the situation in Ukraine and the consequences of the Russian invasion were examined. On a bilateral level, it was established that the relations between the two countries are excellent and as Mrs. Sakellaropoulou characteristically mentioned, at the joint press conference, “Greece-Serbia relations have remained stable and undisturbed for almost 150 years, and reflect the important historical, political and cultural ties, as well as the friendship that binds our peoples”.

Referring to the developments in the war in Ukraine, the President emphasized that revisionist and expansionist tendencies are reprehensible. “The unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war has reminded us once again, in the harshest way, that peace is not a given. We should all strive for it in practice, based on the principles and values ​​of the United Nations Charter. The tendencies of anachronistic revisionism and expansionism, wherever they come from, are completely reprehensible and have no place in 21st century Europe. The Russian attack on Ukraine is a turning point for the European security environment. The military conflict has become long-term and no prospects for a diplomatic settlement are visible, at least at the moment,” he pointed out.

Mrs. Sakellaropoulou also informed the President of Serbia about Greek-Turkish relations. “I informed President Vucsic about Greek-Turkish relations, where we are experiencing a reduction in tension, and I reiterated that Greece is firmly in favor of dialogue, international law and the consolidation of good-neighborly relations, on the condition of full respect for the principles of international law,” he said .

He also expressed Greece’s support for the European perspective of Serbia and the Western Balkans in general. “My country, as is known, has always held the view that Serbia belongs to the European family. For this reason, I expressed, once again, Greece’s firm and unwavering support for the European integration of Serbia and the important reform efforts it is making in this direction,” he said at the press conference.

The issue of Kosovo was also at the center of the meeting between the two Presidents. Mrs. Sakellaropoulou assured that “Greece’s position on the issue of Kosovo remains unchanged”. When asked by a journalist of the Serbian public television whether Greece was under pressure from abroad to revise its stance on Kosovo, the PtD reiterated its firm position on the issue, pointing out that the policy pursued by Greece is aimed at strengthening stability and security in the wider area. “Perhaps, (Greece) has been under pressure, as it always happens at a diplomatic level, but this has not affected it because it has a consequence in its policy,” said Mrs. Sakellaropoulou. He pointed out that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is extremely important to establish peace and security in the region, underlining the need to implement everything agreed during the dialogue process.

Referring to energy, which also occupied the meeting of the two Presidents, Mrs. Sakerallopoulou pointed out that Greece will have a key role in the diversification of natural gas supply sources for the Western Balkans and more broadly, pointing out that the benefits will be significant for the countries and regions through which the gas pipelines will pass.

Aleksandar Vucic thanked the President of the Hellenic Republic for the support that Greece provides to the European integration of Serbia and for the consistency it demonstrates in the Kosovo issue. He also pointed out that “Serbia supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic on land, sea and air” noting that this position is based on the principles of the UN Charter and is not going to change.

Mrs Sakellaropoulou also met with the Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabic and visited the Parliament where she spoke with the Speaker of the Parliament Vladimir Orlic. Today he will also go to Mount Avala, outside Belgrade, where he will lay a wreath at the monument to the Unknown Soldier.

The visit of the PtD to Serbia will end tomorrow, Wednesday, with the laying of a wreath at the statue of Riga Feraios and the tour of the “Neboisa Tower” where the Greek revolutionary was killed and today it functions as a memorial, an exhibition space dedicated to the Greek and Balkan Revolution peoples for shaking off the Ottoman yoke.