BELGRADE – Newly appointed Brazilian Ambassador to Serbia Sergio Luis Canaes said while presenting letters of credence to Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic Monday that Brazil believed solutions to the Kosovo-Metohija issue should be sought through dialogue and called for further strengthening of cooperation between Brazil and Serbia.
Our position on Kosovo-Metohija is well known. We remain devoted to diplomatic dialogue in favor of finding a mutually acceptable solution, in accordance with guidelines laid down by the UN Security Council, said Canaes.
He said that Brazil and Serbia shared a history of excellent relations and Brazil considered Serbia a reliable and important partner in Europe.
Ambassador Canaes recalled that Brazil was one of the few countries whose embassies in Belgrade had remained open during the bombing of 1999, a proof of solidarity with the Serbian people.
He said that Brazil supported Serbia’s progress towards membership of the EU and the World Trade Organization (WTO) and called for further strengthening of bilateral and multilateral cooperation, which he believes would be enhanced through signing an agreement on visa-free tourist travel between the two countries.
President Nikolic thanked Brazil for its support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia and for stressing the need of reaching a fair, long-term solution to the Kosovo-Metohija issue.
Nikolic said that Serbia and Brazil had long fostered mutual understanding and close cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels and, above all, friendship and solidarity in time of need.
The Serbian president thanked the Brazil government for the solidarity they had shown in the aftermath of the recent flooding in Serbia.
Serbia is interested in intensifying the political dialogue with Brazil at all levels and in promoting all-round cooperation, especially in the economic sphere, Nikolic said.
