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10 July 2023 The members of the Defence and Internal Affairs Committee in meeting with the delegation of the UK Parliament

Monday, 10 July 2023

Defence and Internal Affairs Committee Meets with UK Parliamentary Delegation

The Chairman of the Defence and Internal Affairs Committee Dr Milos Jovanovic, Deputy Chairman Aleksandar Markovic and Committee members Jasmina Obradovic, Marija Jevdjic and Slavica Radovanovic, met today in the National Assembly with the delegation of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, headed by the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Serbia Jackie Doyle-Price.

Dr Milos Jovanovic expressed his satisfaction with this visit, pointing to the importance of parliamentary diplomacy. He stressed that the Republic of Serbia strives to foster the best possible relations with all important European countries, declaring our bilateral relations to be at a high level. Trade cooperation is growing, he said, adding that cooperation in the field of defence, as well as university exchange, is extremely important.

Kosovo-Metohija remains an open issue between our two countries, stressed the Chairman of the Defence and Internal Affairs Committee, adding that it is important that all of our partners understand Serbia’s position and the stand that Kosovo and Metohija is an integral part of Serbia which is non-negotiable.

Jackie Doyle-Price said that it is vital to establish peace and stability in the region and, together with the members of the delegation, emphasised the need to achieve a peaceful coexistence of all the people in Kosovo-Metohija.

In that context, the two parliamentary delegations agreed that inappropriate statements that contribute to deepening tensions should not be encouraged, such as the statement of UK Member of Parliament Alicia Kearns about the role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in arms smuggling in Kosovo-Metohija.

In the course of the meeting, the members of the British parliamentary delegation were more closely acquainted with the Defence and Internal Affairs Committee’s competences and mode of operation, and the participants also exchanged opinions on the possibilities for future cooperation between the two parliaments’ competent committees in the areas of combating violence against women and children.

The officials also exchanged views on the current geopolitical circumstances in Europe and their impact on Serbia.