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Serbia seeks to forge strategic partnership with RI
Media visit: The Jakarta Post’s chief editor, Meidyatama Suryodiningrat (left), welcomes Serbian National Assembly Speaker Nebosja Stefanovic during a Serbian parliament delegation visit to the Post in Palmerah, Jakarta on Tuesday
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span class="inline inline-none">Media visit: The Jakarta Post’s chief editor, Meidyatama Suryodiningrat (left), welcomes Serbian National Assembly Speaker Nebosja Stefanovic during a Serbian parliament delegation visit to the Post in Palmerah, Jakarta on Tuesday. (JP/R.Berto Wedhatama)
Serbia is exploring opportunities to forge strategic partnerships with Indonesia, with a visiting lawmaker saying that the two countries can serve as hubs for their respective regions.
“We are very interested in a strategic partnership [...] and we are trying to open the door to Indonesian investors,” Serbian National Assembly Speaker Nebosja Stefanovic said during the visit of a delegation from the Serbian parliament to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
Serbia is trying to open direct trade links, as it is in need of Indonesian palm oil, rubber and tea, which it has to date purchased through Rotterdam, the Netherlands. “It is more expensive. Why should we pay double prices?”
He added that Serbia, with a potential market of 8 million, could also serve as a hub for Indonesia as it seeks to penetrate the wider European market.
Serbia hoped to boost cooperation mainly in agriculture, energy and tourism, according to Stefanovic, who said that Indonesian tourists arriving in Istanbul, Turkey, could connect to Belgrade-Montenegro-Ljubljana-Bosnia.
Stefanovic also referred to the close ties between Indonesia and Serbia when president Soekarno and Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito initiated the Non-Aligned Movement.
“Indonesia stood by us in the difficult times. Therefore, we should try to find our old friends,” he added.
Stefanovic described Serbia as a nation of several religions, where people of different beliefs lived side by side and where minorities held positions in government and parliament.
Serbia has been attempting to drum up support for its stance on Kosovo. “We are trying to explain that the issue is not about religion,” Stefanovic said.
Serbia’s continued refusal to recognize Kosovo’s independence has undermined Serbia’s path to join the EU. The nation submitted an application to join the EU in 2009. However, the talks on its accession can only start after Serbia normalizes ties with Kosovo.
There were signs of movement earlier this year when Serbia hinted at a de facto acknowledgement of Kosovo’s sovereignty by demanding rights for the Serbian minority there.
“We are trying very hard to find a solution to this issue. The good thing is that we have a good understanding within our society,” Stefanovic added.
During his four-day visit, Stefanovic met with House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie, People’s Consultative Assembly Speaker Taufiq Kiemas, chairman of the Regional Representatives Council Irman Gusman and several ministers.
Indonesia-Serbian legislative bodies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to increase cooperation and exchange experiences in making effective laws.
