Đurić: Serbia Achieved All Objectives Set for Its Participation in the ASEAN Summit in Manila

Minister Đurić concluded that Serbia had succeeded in presenting itself at the Manila Summit as an active and reliable partner, open to cooperation and focused on the future.

He noted that, in addition to talks with Southeast Asian partners, important meetings had also been held with representatives of other parts of the world, including Chile and Timor-Leste. As he emphasised, his meeting with the Foreign Minister of Timor-Leste was the first meeting at the level of foreign ministers since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

He added that, on the margins of the Summit, he had also held discussions with numerous European ministers. The Summit was attended by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, as well as ministers from Sweden, Lithuania, Poland and other countries. According to Đurić, this further underscored the importance of this part of the world for the future of international relations.

Đurić said that the discussions in Manila had focused on the most pressing global challenges, including the consequences of conflicts, the economic crisis, the reconfiguration of the global order, the development of artificial intelligence and relations among the major powers. In such circumstances, he stressed, Serbia continues to seek its place on the basis of the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, the protection of its national interests and respect for international law.

The Serbian Foreign Minister emphasised that Serbia does not view its cooperation, economic development and future exclusively through the prism of its immediate neighbourhood. Rather, it continues to pursue a balanced and strategically forward-looking foreign policy aimed at strengthening cooperation with countries that are emerging as future centres of global development. According to him, many Southeast Asian countries belong precisely to this group of countries of the future with which Serbia seeks to build partnerships.

Đurić recalled that Serbia has a long tradition of cooperation with this part of the world, dating back to the era of the Non-Aligned Movement, and that it was among the countries that supported the development of a number of Southeast Asian states during the post-colonial period. He assessed that this multi-vector approach is one of Serbia’s strengths and could also serve as its comparative advantage within the European framework.