Die Botschaft der Republik Serbien

bleibt am 1. und 2.1.2025.

aufgrund der Feiertage geschlossen.

RENSEIGNEMENT

Pendant les fêtes
l’Ambassade de la République de Serbie
sera fermée le 1 et 2.1.2025.

Die Botschaft der Republik Serbien bleibt

am 25. und 26.12.2024

aufgrund der Feiertage geschlossen.

RENSEIGNEMENT

Pendant les fêtes
l’Ambassade de la République de Serbie
sera fermée le 25 et 26.12.2024.

Today, on Armistice Day in World War I, we remember the Golgotha that our country and
our people went through during the war years, but also we remember the perseverance and heroism of our famous ancestors, to whom we owe our existence today.

The Serbian people was the biggest victim of World War I. The Central Powers, driven by
imperial ambitions, tried to erase a small but freedom-loving country from the map. In that
war, Serbia lost more than a quarter of its population and 62 percent of the working-age male population.

It will remain etched in the annals of world military history that the courageous Serbian people achieved the first victory for the Allies on Mount Cer.

The devastated Serbian state and the suffering Serbian people rose from the ashes, just like
the indestructible Natalie’s ramonda flower, an emblem that we proudly wear close to our hearts today.

Serbia paid a high price for freedom in World War I, which is why our country and its citizens will continue to protect Serbian statehood, freedom and independence as supreme national values. Long live Serbia!

Aufgrund des Feiertags bleibt die Botschaft der Republik Serbien am 11. November  2024 geschlossen.

RENSEIGNEMENT

Pendant les fêtes
l’Ambassade de la République de Serbie
sera fermée le 11. novembre 2024.
 

Mehr….. 

The Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in Switzerland, Goran Bradić, and the Consul General in Zurich, Mihajlo Šaulić, visited the "Paul Scherer Institute" (PSI) in Filingen, which is the largest research institute for natural science and engineering research in Switzerland.

The heads of individual PSI sectors introduced the Serbian diplomats to the establishment, development, functioning and work of the Institute, as well as its scientific and research capacities. Prof. Dr. Milan Radonjić presented the project "Quest" (QUEST - Quantummatter Electron SpecTroscopy), on which cooperation with Serbian institutions should begin soon.

Ambassador Bradić and Consul General Šaulić toured part of the facilities and technical installations used for research and testing of materials, including the circular and tunnel particle accelerator.

During the working lunch, Ambassador Bradić presented the hosts with the progress of Serbia and its institutions, primarily in the area of digitization, the establishment of several science and technology parks, the State Data Center in Kragujevac, the BIO4 campus, as well as plans for the international specialized exhibition Expo 2027.

PSI representatives expressed their interest in receiving a number of our students and experts for professional training.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia, Goran Bradić, attended the event on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce for Central Europe in Zurich (Chamber of Commerce Switzerland - Central Europe / SEC), as well as the establishment of their subsidiary in Romandie, i.e. the francophone part of Switzerland, which was held in the premises of the Geneva Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Chambre de commerce, d`industrie et des services de Geneve / CCIG).
On that occasion, Ambassador Bradić addressed the gathered entrepreneurs, directors of consulting agencies, and owners of law offices in the Canton of Geneva, as well as diplomatic representatives from Bern, and SEC President Oliver Berčinger and CCIG General Director Vincent Subilija presented to the guests the associations they lead.
The Ambassador of Serbia, in his address, conveyed his evaluations and experiences of cooperation with Switzerland, primarily in the field of economy, but also in other fields. On that occasion, he pointed out that Serbia occupies a central position in the Balkan region, just as Switzerland is in the geographical center of Europe, that both countries are militarily neutral and are not members of the EU, and that at the same time, we are all faced with more or less the same consequences of the current geopolitical and economic challenges. Pointing out that Serbia's strategic foreign policy goal is full membership in the EU, that in this context the necessary reforms have been implemented for years, and that the country has achieved significant success in the field of attracting foreign investments, rebuilding and building infrastructure, digitization and in other areas, Bradić particularly apostrophized projects that are being implemented and plans whose realization is ahead, such as the Bio4 campus and the specialized international exhibition EXPO 2027.
He pointed out that Switzerland is one of the six leading foreign investors in Serbia, and that it is in the fourth position - when it comes to the export of services by Serbian companies, after the USA, Germany, and the UK, and that bilateral economic exchange has recorded constant growth in the last few years. He thanked Switzerland for its involvement in the construction of two of the four existing NTPs in Serbia, recalling that our country and the World Economic Forum (WEF), whose headquarters are in Geneva, established the Center for the 4th Industrial Revolution in Belgrade a little more than two years ago. , as well as part of the CERN data is stored in the State Data Center in Kragujevac.
Ambassador Bradić stated that in the last two years, Serbia has had almost nine billion euros in direct foreign investments, which represents slightly more than 60% of total foreign investments in the Balkans, and that the British portal "FDI Intelligence" in its report at the beginning of this year ranked several of its cities among the best investment destinations in Europe. He emphasized that Serbia has concluded free trade agreements with large and important markets in the world - starting with the EU, EFTA and CEFTA, through the EAEU and Turkey, and ending with China and Egypt, as well as that such agreements are being worked on with several other countries. Serbia is a politically, economically, and financially stable country, whose good financial rating BB+ has been confirmed by renowned foreign rating agencies, the country's public debt is around 52% of its GDP, which has not been achieved by all EU members, while the country records above-average economic growth compared to the region, but also the EU, underlined Bradić and called on Swiss businessmen to take advantage of the opportunity to conclude new deals within the implementation of planned projects.
Guests of the event, at the cocktail party that followed, could taste Serbian wines donated by the Embassy for the occasion.

The whole interview you can watch at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZIDLlqh-Oc&t=115s

The ceremony began with the intonation of the National Anthems of Serbia, Switzerland and Liechtenstein sung by soprano Danijela Bjelica, accompanied by violinist Tatjana Vucelić, after which Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation Goran Bradić.

In his speech, Ambassador Bradić emphasized the importance of the “Sretenje” in the history of the Republic of Serbia and pointed out some current geopolitical challenges and the most important results of Serbia in recent years in the fields of economy, finance, science and research. He also emphasized the importance of the "leap into the future of Serbia" project and the organization of the international exhibition "Expo 2027" in Belgrade, and finally called on the diaspora for unity, harmony and support for the country, and above all for our compatriots in Kosovo and Metohija.

He underlined the importance of respecting international law and the UN Charter, as well as the necessity to avoid the application of double standards and to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all internationally recognized countries. Ambassador accentuated that more than 470 ethnically motivated attacks on Serbs, their private property and Serbian churches and monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija have been registered since the arrival of A. Kurti to head the temporary institutions in Pristina in February 2021. He pointed out that due to the repressive measures and systematic terror of the temporary institutions in Pristina, 14% of Serbs left the territory of Kosovo and Metohija last year alone. H.E. Ambassador Bradić stressed that sincere and effective help from the EU and the USA is needed to fulfill the provisions of the agreements reached so far with Pristina, for which Serbia has been waiting for more than ten years.

Ambassador Bradić thanked the Serbian diaspora in Switzerland for the help that it has provided and continues to provide to the homeland in the past years and decades, as well as for the struggle to preserve the Serbian language, history, tradition, customs and our religion and culture, and expressed his wish that in the future more of our children attend supplementary classes in the Serbian language and religious studies in Switzerland. The reception was attended by about 130 guests from the diplomatic corps, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, the Ministry of the Interior, economic associations, international organizations in Bern, journalists, artists, as well as the diaspora.

The ceremony began with the intonation of the National Anthems of Serbia, Switzerland and Liechtenstein sung by soprano Danijela Bjelica, accompanied by violinist Tatjana Vucelic, after which Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation Goran Bradić.

http://www.berne.mfa.gov.rs/odrzavanje/uploads/WEW_51_080_VUCIC_1.pdf

The Swiss-Serbian Business Network (SSBN) and the "Home of Blockchain" Association, with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern, organized a panel discussion on the possibilities for strengthening ties between Serbia and Switzerland in the field of blockchain technologies, which was attended by about 40 Serbian and Swiss entrepreneurs and experts, as well as owners of ICT companies from some other countries, such as Ukraine.
The message to the panel participants was sent via video link by the Minister of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, J. Begović, and the attendees were personally greeted by Amb. G. Bradic.
Minister Begović pointed to the successes achieved in the last ten years in our country in the field of digitization in various spheres - from public administration, through the system of health services, to the application in scientific and research centers and scientific and technological parks, as well as the extremely good results in exports service in the field of ICT. She emphasized that last year, Serbia achieved exports in the ICT sector of 2.7 billion euros and an even better result of around 30 to 35% is expected this year. She also highlighted the accelerated development of blockchain technologies in Serbia, especially after the adoption of the Law on Digital Assets in June 2021.
Ambassador Bradić assessed that the relations between Serbia and Switzerland are dynamic and diverse and that in addition to good political and economic cooperation, we have maintained and developed extremely good cooperation in the fields of science, research and new technologies. He reminded that two of the four science and technology parks in Serbia (Belgrade, Niš, N. Sad and Čačak) were established with the help of the Swiss Government, as well as that two more science and technology parks are planned to be established in our country soon. He emphasized that the Center for the 4th Industrial Revolution was opened in Serbia a little less than two years ago in Belgrade in cooperation with the World Economic Forum, whose headquarters are in Geneva, and that it is the only such center in the wider region. He added that we are currently working on bilateral cooperation projects with leading pharmaceutical companies and scientific research centers in Switzerland.
A. Bruner, president of the "Home of Blockchain" association within one of the largest Swiss economic associations "Switzerland Global Enterprise" (S-GE / Switzerland Global Enterprise), F. Cardano, founder of the "Cardano Foundation", as well as and owners of several companies operating in Serbia and Switzerland in the field of blockchain technologies - Dejan Milenović (Authena) and Nemanja Petrović (Moonstruck).
The common assessment is that Serbia has extremely talented and well-educated experts, and that in cooperation with Swiss partners they can use their advantages of good product branding and access to different markets.

At the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation, on September 8, 2023, Ambassador G. Bradić and Deputy Head of Mission B. Stojanović met with representatives of SSBN (Swiss Serbian Business Network) Marija Srbljin and Nikola Anđelković, as well as the president of the Swiss Association "Home of Blockchain"  A. Brunner (Alexander E. Brunner). The joint organization of a panel discussion on the application of blockchain technologies in Serbia and Switzerland was agreed upon at the meeting. November 30 of this year was set as the date of the Panel.

            A. Bruner pointed out in the conversation that Switzerland is one of the first countries in the world that regulated the application of blockchain technologies in its legislation, and is also one of the world leaders in this field. He assessed that Serbia has an extraordinary base for the development of the mentioned technology, thanks to the results so far in the field of digitization and services in the field of ICT, and that is why he would like to cooperate with our companies, but also with state institutions in this matter.

Among other things, the Embassy representatives conveyed to Bruner and SSBN representatives the information that the State Data Center in Kragujevac received a certificate from one of the German institutions this month, thanks to which its rating was officially confirmed as one of the eight most reliable institutions of its kind in the world. We pointed out that Serbia was the first in the region to adopt a Strategy on Artificial Intelligence, that together with the World Economic Forum (WEF) from Geneva we founded the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Belgrade, that work is being done on the construction of the Bio4Campus in Belgrade, as well as other relevant information.

           The gathering, where around 150 entrepreneurs are expected, mostly from Switzerland, but also a certain number of representatives of companies from Serbia, possibly representatives of the MFA of Switzerland from the Department dealing with the "Digital Democracy" project, will be opened by the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the Swiss Confederation, H.E. G. Bradić.

            Association "Home of Blockchain" operates within one of the three most influential economic associations S-GE / Switzerland Global Enterprise, while SSBN gathers around 1,800 members from various economic branches (manufacturing activities, insurance, banking, ICT and other branches).

We would like to inform you that the Festival of the Ninth Art, within which a contest for children and young people from 5 to 18 years old, called "COMIC STRIP 2023", will be held again this year at the Children's Cultural Center in Belgrade. The deadline for the submission of works is November 19, 2023. You can find more information about the competition HERE.

On Saturday, 24.06.2023, on the central square in Freiburg, the event "Romanian Village", dedicated to Romanian folk costumes, took place third time in a row. The organizer was the "Romanian-Swiss Cultural Association" and the guests, alongside our country, were Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Slovenia. In the cultural and artistic part, Serbia was represented by the Art Center "Soko" from Basel, while the Consul of the Republic of Serbia in Bern, Predrag Mandić, greeted the attendees on behalf of the Embassy, pointing out the tourism potential of Serbia and the hospitality of its people. This year, Serbia had its own stand where it presented the Serbian national costume, as well as famous personalities originating from Serbia. Thanks to the exhibited brochures of the Tourist organization of Serbia, specially prepared photographs, maps of Serbia and other items from our rich tradition, passers-by could learn that Tesla was a Serb, that Albert Einstein's first wife was a Serbian, as well as remind themselves what Serbia looks like, with Kosovo and Metohija as its integral part. We answered numerous questions and were pleased to note that the willingness of citizens from this part of Switzerland to visit our country is great.
Art Center "Soko" presented itself at this event through two ensembles - an adult singing group consisting of Andrijana Adamović, Natalija Stanković and Milica Milutinović, while the children's singing group was presented by Dijana Jovičić, Mia Petrović, Teodora Panić, Marta and Petra Adamović. The musical accompaniment consisted of Nikola Todorović on the clarinet and his father Dejan on the guitar. Andrijana Adamović, who leads both singing groups of the Art Center "Soko", thrilled the audience with a solo performance of the folk song "Moba prela kod kneza Lazara ".
We are convinced that the good cooperation of our Embassy with the "Romanian-Swiss Cultural Association" will continue in the future, in order to convey the diversity of the cultures of the peoples of Switzerland in the most beautiful way.

The State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Goran Aleksić, held political consultations with the State Secretary at the MFA of Switzerland, Livia Loy, in Bern on May 4, 2023. Serbia and Switzerland hold regular political consultations that serve to reaffirm the ties between the two countries and provide an opportunity to discuss in more detail and exchange opinions on current issues.

In addition to bilateral political issues, the talks focused on security in the Western Balkans, the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, the global impact of the war between Russia and Ukraine, international cooperation, trade, the joint fight against illegal migration and other issues of importance for bilateral relations of two countries. Serbia is Switzerland's most important political and economic partner in the Western Balkans, while Switzerland ranks fourth in on the list of service exchanges with Serbia.

Through the Swiss cooperation program 2022-25 implemented by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Switzerland has provided Serbia with CHF 103 million to support democratic governance and civil society, economic development and employment, as well as climate change and sustainable urban development. Switzerland works closely with Serbia as part of the voting group at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The importance of the Serbian diaspora in Switzerland, which numbers around 150,000 people and significantly helps the Serbian economy with its investments, was also highlighted.

Following the tragic loss of lives at the "Vladislav Ribnikar" Elementary School shooting in Belgrade on 3 May 2023, the Government of Serbia has declared three days of national mourning, from 5 May to 7 May 2023. The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia is grateful for all the messages of support we have received.

A book of condolence will open at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern, Seminarstrasse 5, 3006 Bern.

Members of the public who wish to leave written tributes can do so during the following opening hours:

5 May 2023 11.00 - 13.00 and 14.00 - 16.30
6 May 2023 10.00 - 12.00
7 May 2023 10.00 - 12.00

Please be advised that visitors to the Embassy will be subjected to security checks.

For those unable to attend in person, an online book of condolence can be signed at embassy.berne@mfa.rs

The Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the Swiss Confederation Goran Bradić and First Secretary Bojan Stojanović visited this week the Agriculture and Wine Fair in Bern, where was present, in addition to a large number of participants and exhibitors, the Swiss wine distributor "St. Peter's Weine" whos offer includes wines from the company "Lakićević" from Leposavić.

Numerous visitors to the Fair - in addition to wines from Italy, Portugal, France, Spain, and Germany - were able to taste and see for themselves the quality of Serbian wines from Kosovo and Metohija.

Ambassador Bradić presented his gratitude to the owner of the distribution company "St. Peter's Weine" Nebojša Milojević for helping small Serbian businessmen and cooperators of the winery "Lakićević" in the north of Kosovo and Metohija and working on the promotion of wines produced in this region.

The Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), which functions within the Federal Ministry of Police and Justice, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) organized, from March 27 to 31, a study visit by representatives of various departments of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia to Bern and Zurich. The visit was prepared as part of the implementation of the Migration Partnership program between Serbia and Switzerland, entitled "Strengthening of capacities and partnerships for migration management in Serbia".

The members of the delegation from Serbia had the opportunity to attend numerous meetings and lectures on the topic of readmission, integration, human trafficking, human smuggling, asylum, etc. in the State Secretariat for Migration, the Federal Administration of Customs and Border Security, the Federal Police, as well as to visit one of the federal centers for asylum seekers. The delegation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia also met with representatives of Swiss NGOs, which deal with providing support to victims of violence, successfully organize round tables aimed at combating human trafficking, and cooperate with the migration service, cantonal police, trade unions, public prosecutor's office, victim support centers violence, labor inspection, cantonal social services and other institutions.

On March 28, the Embassy hosted a cocktail for guests from Serbia and their hosts from SEM and IOM. Ambassador G. Bradić greeted guests, and emphasized the good cooperation between the two countries in various areas, especially within police and judicial cooperation, and pointed out the importance of establishing and nurturing personal contacts between representatives of Serbian and Swiss institutions.

The Ambassador of Serbia to Switzerland, Goran Bradić, and the President of the association "economiesuisse", Christoph Mäder, which gathers around 100,000 Swiss companies and employs close to two million people, discussed the possibilities for further improvement of economic cooperation - especially in the field of biotechnology, the field of information and communication technologies, energy transition and ecology.

Last year, the exchange of goods between Serbia and Switzerland increased by more than 30% compared to 2021, reaching the amount of 802 million CHF, while an even better balance was achieved in the field of exchange of services, the value of which was almost 1.2 billion CHF. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the fact that the tendency of constant growth in the scope of economic cooperation in the last four years has continued, especially in the field of services, despite the difficult challenges and problems caused by the Coronavirus pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine.

Ambassador Bradić and First Secretary Bojan Stojanović presented some of the projects that are planned in Serbia or whose implementation has already been started - such as the Bio4 campus in Belgrade, the further construction of railway and road infrastructure, projects in the field of the energy transition, as well as renewable energy sources. Alexander Keberle, a member of the Executive Board of the "economiesuisse", who is the Head of the sector for ecology, energy, and infrastructure, as well as the Head of the department for Serbia, Catia Capaul, took part in the conversation.

The working lunch at the residence of the Austrian colleague Maria Rotheiser-Scotti with the ambassadors of a dozen countries and the State Secretary at the Secretariat for Migration of Switzerland (SEM), Christine Schraner Burgener was an extraordinary opportunity to exchange opinions and information on the issues of illegal migrations in Europe, further opportunities for cooperation, solving the problems of asylum seekers, and experiences in their integration.

(In the picture: State Secretary at the SEM, ambassadors of Austria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, head of the EU Mission, Charge d'Affairs of Sweden)
 

We would like to inform you that Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić made decision No. 361/30-2022/01, dated 16th November 2022 which announces a public call for submitting proposals for awarding national awards for exceptional contribution, results and merits in the field of achieving cooperation and strengthening the ties between the home country and the diaspora, as well as the home country and Serbs in the region.
You can view the published public invitation at the following links:

https://www.mfa.gov.rs/
https://www.dijaspora.gov.rs/lat/uprava-za-dijasporu-konkursi/

Mr. President,
Madam Special Representative,
Ladies and gentleman,
It gives me honor to address this distinguished body once again and to discuss the latest report of the Secretary-General on the work of the UNMIK.
I would like to thank the Secretary-General and the Special Representative for submitting the report. We take note of the efforts that Ms. Ziadeh makes in performing this very responsible duty, especially bearing in mind the necessity of a comprehensive overview and the complexity of the situation on the ground.
I also take this opportunity to underline that the Republic of Serbia highly values the activities of UNMIK in Kosovo and Metohija, established under UN Security Council Resolution 1244. We advocate for its continued operation in an unchanged and undiminished scope and capacity, especially bearing in mind that the Mission has not yet achieved the main goal of its mandate - a peaceful and normal life for all citizens of our southern province.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Unfortunately, the last few months have not brought more stability in Kosovo and Metohija and the situation in the Province is not exactly as presented in the report. Unilateral moves of Pristina continue to consciously and systematically deepen ethnic differences, causing discrimination against the non-Albanian population. To our knowledge, 105 ethnically motivated attacks have been recorded since the beginning of this year. In addition, Pristina is actively working on administrative and bureaucratic obstacles, by taking measures that were not agreed upon in the dialogue as the basic mechanism for negotiations and reaching solutions between Belgrade and Pristina. Pristina’s approach is problematic in many ways. This irresponsible conduct of Pristina is consciously sabotaging the efforts not only of Belgrade, but also of the EU and other involved parties of the international community, with the clear intention of achieving two goals - the first being to avoid the implementation of assumed commitments. The second, the ultimate and far more alarming goal is the intimidation, marginalization and persecution of Serbs.
In all previous statements before this this distinguished body, Pristina focused on what happened in the past while failing to mention, which is painful to witness, how non-Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija live today. Serbs are still intimidated in different ways, forced to leave their homes, villages and cities. Those displaced are discouraged from returning to where they were born and lived their lives.
The provisional institutions work systematically to remove and erase as much as possible of the cultural and national diversity that is left. At the same time, Pristina is consciously fueling inter-ethnic tensions using all available methods.
Attending religious celebrations seems to be a crime in Kosovo and Methohija. It is the case of Nikola Nedeljković who was arrested for allegedly "inciting ethnic hatred and intolerance", but actually his imprisonment was for attending the St. Vitus Day (Vidovdan) celebration.
Nikola was sentenced to eight months in prison without any material evidence. On the other hand, let me remind you that even to this day there is not a single perpetrator held legally accountable for the more than 1,000 Serbs killed since 1999. Due to planned intimidation, almost all towns and villages in Kosovo and Metohija are ethnically cleansed. Representatives of Pristina are ignoring the suffering, insulting the open wounds of the Serbs who had to leave their ancestral homes, and I underline, there are more than 200,000 of them. Such conduct has not change for last 23 years and is in complete opposite to the democratic values and principles that the provisional institutions of self-government often promote in their statements.
Therefore, I consider it necessary to emphasize that the true political will of the involved international actors and Pristina is necessary in order to create the conditions for the beginning of the end of discrimination on a national basis and common life in the Province.
Esteemed members of the Security Council, I would like to draw your attention to the rigid, problematic and extremely irresponsible conduct of the other negotiating party within the dialogue. In achieving the above-mentioned goals, Pristina applies the so-called policy of reciprocity, a well-thought-out, malicious strategy that, unfortunately, was not constructed independently. By continuously insisting on mutual recognition as a central part of the dialogue, the so-called policy of reciprocity demonstrates the essential unwillingness of the current political leadership of Pristina to find any compromise solution. Let me remind you that the talks between Belgrade and Pristina did not start with last elections in Pristina, but have been in progress for 11 years since the technical dialogue started (8 March 2011). Therefore, we assess as inadmissible attempts to disregard the current format of the dialogue, and annul the agreements only because they are not to the liking of the current political factors. It is unacceptable that the current geopolitical circumstances are being used to simply erase what has been painstakingly worked on for years. Belgrade, I underline, was institutionally involved in the dialogue from the very beginning, while the commitment of the other side has varied and continues to vary depending on the political option that is in power.
The harsher political rhetoric and narrative of the current leadership of the provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina are accompanied by concrete destabilizing steps. In the reporting period, measures on license plates were imposed, disguised as attempts at alleged integration into society.
Let me remind you again, there was no agreement on such measures in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. I believe, ladies and gentlemen, that even today we will hear from the representative of Pristina that their side has fulfilled all obligations, but the decision on re-registration of license plates shows that Pristina is not only failing to fulfill what has been agreed upon, but it nullifies the results of the dialogue, creating a new crisis all over again. The effect of such forcibly imposed measures is best illustrated by the fact that since the decision was made a single-digit number of re-registered vehicles with Serbian license plates has been recorded, of which only two are Serbs from the north of Kosovo and Metohija. This is another indicator that Pristina does not enjoy full support, but that, on the other hand, it continuously provokes the natural reaction of the Serbian population, which cannot endlessly be subject to the arbitrariness of temporary institutions.
I believe that even today we will hear already known narrative of representatives from Pristina who try to present every reaction of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija as an activity organized by Belgrade in alleged attempts at destabilization. Such claims are simply not true. Serbia, for its part, cannot in any way contain the revolt present among the non-Albanian population of Kosovo and Metohija. It is an undeniable fact that citizens' protests represent a voice against many years of institutional violence and the deprivation of rights of the non-Albanian population, which, in this case, is denied the right to peaceful enjoyment of private property acquired in a legal manner.
Pristina does not cease in its attempts to confiscate property, and, as is well-known, one of the targets is the Serbian Orthodox Church. By calling into question the return of property to the Dečani Monaster Pristina paradoxically does not execute the decisions of its own so-called Constitutional Court.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I thought for a long time how to best illustrate the true picture of everyday life of the non-Albanian population in Kosovo and Metohija. I will mention only some of the facts. Numerous ethnically motivated incidents, hate speech, intimidation, violations of the right to a fair trial, threats to the right to freedom of movement and religious rights, desecration of churches and graves were recorded in the last reporting period as well. The frequent attacks on the sites of the Serbian Orthodox Church are also unacceptable, and especially the humiliating attitude towards the Serbian cultural and spiritual heritage, including the 4 monuments that have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Numerous administrative and technical barriers are imposed on priests and monastic communities, making it difficult and even impossible for them to survive on church properties.
When it comes to civil rights, try to imagine that the basic political and civil right to vote has been taken away from you.
This is precisely what the Serbs in the Province have experienced along with frequent intimidation and violent incursions of the ROSU special forces, which are an instrument for the implementation of Pristina's goals under the pretext of allegedly fighting crime.
In December last year Bratislav Nikolić the president of municipality of Štrpce has been detained, as suspected of the organized crime and corruption - still not charged, kept in detention unit in Podujevo, only for the reason to make additional and final pressure on the Serbian community living in the enclave of Štrpce. How can this be justified as the fight against crime when special forces are used to raid village festivals, schools and kidnap drivers of ambulance transporting infusion containers and medicines? What are the motives behind and how can one rationalize these actions? Just try to imagine and put yourself in the shoes of Ms. Dragica Gašić, the only Serbian returnee in Djakovica. Imagine that you are still not allowed to buy bread because of your origin and nationality, because you live in a municipality that the local Albanians proudly consider forbidden to non-Albanians. Imagine that as many as eleven Albanian civil society organizations demand your expulsion, as well as a ban on any non-Albanian ever returning to that town. Then you will realize the level of intimidation that Serb returnees are facing. It will be clear to you why the percentage of returnees is below 2% and why it is still one of the lowest in the world. Let me pose a question - are these the characteristics of a society that presents itself to the world as a fully fledged democracy and a factor of stability in the region?
We are aware that the dialogue has a wider dimension and that it can affect the situation in the entire region.
This is reflected in every statement given by Serbian officials, including the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić. "It is better to negotiate for a hundred years than to fight for a day" are the words of our President that best describe the policy of peace, reconciliation, and regional cooperation pursued by the Serbian leadership, which is guided by the vision of building a common and prosperous future of the Balkans.
I believe that it is a duty of today's leaders to create a clear common vision for the future generations. Such a vision was shown by the leaders of Belgrade, Skoplje and Tirana by creating Open Balkan, an initiative from the region for the region, which is already producing concrete results. Serbia has on several occasions reached out to Pristina inviting it to join this initiative. We counted on an awareness of the importance of economic connectivity and progress for the benefit of the citizens of the entire Balkans. However, our invitation was not met with understating from the other side.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We categorically reject Pristina's argumentation regarding the alleged unconstitutionality of the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities. It is clear that Pristina's attitude towards this obligation reflects its attitude towards the Serbian people in the Province. It also indicates that Pristina is against Serbian people being organized as an ethnic community and thus exercising their collective rights.
The aim of their approach, as a preferred model, is a community without Serbs, such as those in Pristina, Djakovica or Pec, or some similar localities in the Province. For our side, it is unacceptable that Pristina has refused to fulfil its obligations and discuss the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities for as much as 3,470 days but I assure you that, regardless of this fact, Serbia will not give up on its efforts to find a compromise solution for the current situation.
I will remind you that the representatives of Pristina, although they often repeat in their statements that the case of the so-called Kosovo is a fait accompli, continue not to be recognized by the majority of UN member states for 14 years now. If the so-called Kosovo's independence is a reality, how come that we have the dialogue? And how come that Belgrade is faced with increasing pressures as regards the need for mutual recognition? What the current political leadership of Pristina refuses to accept is that Belgrade cannot be left out in the search for a final solution. The same also applies to the case of the increasingly frequent indications about Pristina's upcoming membership in international organizations. Will these moves help to create the necessary atmosphere for dialogue? Are we, in this way, rewarding Pristina's destructive behaviour and refusal of dialogue? Our view is that the attempts of the so-called Kosovo to join international organizations are an unacceptable act and Serbia will work decisively against such steps.
During the last session in April this year, we could hear the calls of some members of the UN Security Council to reduce and even terminate UNMIK, with the explanation that Pristina has its own functional institutions. However, the circumstances I have presented to you and the situation on the ground remind us again that international presence in our southern province is still necessary. In this regard, we support the efforts made by UNMIK, KFOR, EULEX and OMIK within their mandates. The Serbian and other non-Albanian population in Kosovo and Metohija has the highest confidence in the international presence and considers it a guarantor of security, which additionally confirms that international missions need to remain engaged in an undiminished scope and capacity in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244.
In conclusion,
I would like to point out that lately in all international forums we keep hearing calls for respect of the principles of the UN. We support the territorial integrity of all UN member states. But, what about Serbia? I would like to ask the esteemed members of this distinguished body whether the need to implement the principles of the UN Charter applies only to some or all of its members? As a country that consistently respects international law and still suffers the consequences of it being violated, we believe that the UN Charter and international law, including the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, should be respected by all and apply indiscriminately to all UN member states.
Ladies and gentleman,
It was this body that more than two decades ago adopted Resolution 1244, which confirmed the territorial integrity of Serbia. This fact did not prevent certain countries from recognizing the so-called “Kosovo” and thus violating the UN principles, but also the resolution that they adopted, by adjusting international law to their interests and goals. Precisely because of this, the more and more frequent mentioning of the case of "Kosovo" is an indication that the precedent made opened a Pandora's box, because the strength of each principle rests on its full and universal application and unconditional adherence.
You will notice that I posed a lot of questions in my statement and I express hope that today we will hear answers to at least some of them from you, esteemed members of the UN Security Council and representatives of Pristina, because the inhabitants of Kosovo and Metohija, of any nationality, whether they are Serbs or Albanians deserve it.
All the inhabitants of Kosovo and Metohija have every right to expect an improvement in the atmosphere and the reduction of tensions on the ethnic level, which are a prerequisite for a normal life. For such a step to be made, we need constructiveness, which is not lacking on the Serbian side, genuine support of international actors. I emphasize that Serbia has always been and remains deeply committed to finding a sustainable solution by peaceful means, for the sake of peace, stability and a common future.
Thank you.

Source/Foto: www.mfa.gov.rs

From December 17, 2022, to January 14, 2023, AirSERBIA will operate direct flights between Zurich and Niš twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays! Tickets are already on sale through all sales channels and, of course, on the AirSerbia website: https://www.airserbia.com/specijalne-ponude/ultra-niske-cene-za-letove-iz-nisa-i-kraljeva

The Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in Bern, Goran Bradić, congratulated the CEO of Telekom Srbije Ljubomir Lučić on the official start of operations on the Swiss market, which was symbolically marked by the opening of the first branch of MTEL Switzerland in a shopping center near Zurich (Volen), which operates within the Serbian telecommunications company.

Bradić wished good results and success to the management of Telekom Srbije, which after six years of business in Austria, has now also entered the Swiss market.

He expressed his belief that many of our citizens, people from the former Yugoslavia, as well as the Swiss, will become clients of our company, which offers specially adapted packages of its mobile phone services, internet, and TV programs.

Director Lučić pointed out that the start of business in Switzerland is a great day for the Serbian telecommunications company, which continues to strengthen and expand its business. He also thanked the Embassy and Consulate General in Zurich for their support in promoting MTEL Switzerland.

The general director of MTEL Switzerland, Stefan Božić, pointed out that the experiences from Austria, where the company has more than 130,000 users, of which more than 15% are Austrians, are very valuable and represent the best indicator of the success of our telecommunications giant.

We would like to inform you that the Festival of the Ninth Art, within which a contest for children and young people from 5 to 18 years old, called "COMIC STRIP 2022", will be held again this year at the Children's Cultural Center in Belgrade. The deadline for the submission of works is November 18, 2022. You can find more information about the competition HERE.

International children's Handball camp "Nikola Portner and friends" was opened in Gumligen (next to Bern) this week. It’s a sports event of international character, named after the captain of the Swiss handball team, Nikola Portner, whose father was the famous Serbian handball player Zlatko Portner. The organizer of this camp is the non-profit sports organization "Sport NoLimit" from Lausanne, together with the Handball Academy of Switzerland.

The camp takes place from July 18th, till July 23rd, in the city sports hall. Fourth year in a row, it gathers an increasing number of children, as well as professional coaches. The camp is intended for children between the ages of 13 and 18, of whom there were more than 50 this year. The creator and manager of the camp is David Miloradović, president of the "Sport NoLimit" organization and also a successful handball coach in Switzerland, while the guest coaches are Akim Komnenić (Serbia), Slobodan Aćimov (Serbia), Nikola Marinović (Serbia), Marko Markiš (Croatia), Joel Da Silva (France), Ulf Anderson (Sweden) and Klaus Feldman (Germany).
The coaches and children were greeted at the opening by the Consul of the Republic of Serbia in Bern, Predrag Mandić, wishing them success and thanking the handball experts for responding to the organizers' call to pass on their valuable knowledge to new generations.
 

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic talked today with Director General of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce (CCIG) Vincent Subilia about the continuation of already successful cooperation, attracting new investors and the promotion of business opportunities of Serbia.

Brnabic informed her interlocutors about the good business climate in Serbia and industries which are favourable for investment, with a special emphasis of digitalisation, artificial intelligence and biotechnology.

The Prime Minister especially pointed to the advantages available to foreign investors.

She underlined that Switzerland is among the leading investors in Serbia in the field of information technologies, given that this field has a great potential for development in our country.  

Brnabic highlighted the importance of biotechnology as a promising field of cooperation with companies from Geneva.

According to her, experts from Serbia can learn a lot from their Swiss colleagues when it comes to that field, and the fact that Serbia is creating environment for development of biotechnology speaks in favour of that.

Subilia said that Serbia, as an advanced economy, can contribute significantly to the further improvement of business opportunities of companies from Geneva which want to invest and that is why his mission is to encourage the companies and help them come and do so.

The meeting in the Serbian government was also attended by Swiss Ambassador to Serbia Urs Schmid and President of the Swiss-Serbian Trade Chamber Majo Micovic.

Source/Photo: www.srbija.gov.rs 

On Saturday and Sunday, 28.05. and 29.05.2022, the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Belp celebrated its church Slava. Saints Cyril and Methodius, which are usually celebrated on 24.05. according to the Gregorian calendar, were celebrated over the weekend so that as many believers as possible could attend the ceremony. His Eminence Mr. Andrej, Bishop of Austria-Switzerland, attended the festive evening service and the performance of the Rules of Saints Cyril and Methodius on Saturday, and led the Holy Liturgy on Sunday. Priests from almost all parts of Switzerland - Bern, Zurich, Yverdon, took part in the holy services, led by the host, the parish priest of the Church Municipality in Bern, Mr. Stanko Markovic, accompanied by the church choir under the baton of conductor Nemanja Trickovic. The evening service on Saturday, as well as the liturgy on Sunday, was attended by the Consul of the Republic of Serbia in Bern, Mr. Predrag Mandic. His Excellency, the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Swiss Confederation, Dr. Boro Bronza, also honored the event with his presence. After the liturgy, it was performed a procession around the temple, blessings of the Slava symbols and organized a rich serving for the guests and over a hundred gathered believers from several Swiss cantons and abroad.

The Fourth Economic Forum and Economic Fair of the Serbian Diaspora ("Summit of the Serbian Diaspora") was held on May 13 and 14, 2022 in the Ditikon City Hall in Zurich. The event was organized by the Association of Serbian Businessmen in Switzerland, under the auspices of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern. The goal of the Summit is to support Serbian companies in Switzerland, their networking, as well as to encourage and further improve economic development and cooperation between the diaspora and the homeland.

                 At the opening ceremony, speeches were given by O. Berčinger, President of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce for Central Europe, Ambassador G. Bradić, PMSP for Economic Diplomacy M. Knežević, BiH Ambassador to Switzerland B. Bronza, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska R. Višković who officially opened the fair.

About 30 companies from Switzerland, Serbia and the Republic of Srpska presented themselves at the fair.

The founder of the Swiss „World.Minds“ Foundation Rolf Dobelli informed the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in Switzerland Goran Bradić today about the preparations for the upcoming international panel discussion of this institution, which will be held on May 26, 2022 in Belgrade.

„World.Minds“ is a non-profit Foundation, which brings together about 1,000 individuals, eminent personalities from the world of science, art, business and politics, who have achieved high results in their fields. The goal of the organization is to influence the improvement of the quality of decisions made by the members of the organization through the exchange of opinions, but also to encourage the awareness of individuals to do the same for the benefit and improvement of life on the planet.

The new factory of the company "Nestle" is located in Surčin and covers an area of 23,000 square meters and will provide more than 300 new jobs. The initial investment is worth 58 million Swiss francs, while an investment of about 300 million Swiss francs is planned for the next five years.

The factory is intended for the production of plant-based foods, which „Nestle“ has been producing for years within its „Garden Gourmet“ brand. Today „Nestle“ employs about 330,000 people and has 468 factories in 86 countries around the world.

The ceremony was also attended by Minister of Economy Andjelka Atanaskovic, Deputy Mayor of Belgrade Goran Vesic, General Manager of „Nestle“ for Adriatic Southern Region Marjana Davidovic, Director of „Nestle“ for Southern and Eastern European Markets Alessandro Zanelli, Swiss Ambassador Urs Schmid and Surcin Mayor Stevan Šuša.

Photo: Dimitrije Goll

Photo: Dimitrije Goll

Today, under the authorization and order of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Nikola Selaković, the Ambassador of Serbia in Switzerland Goran Bradić signed an agreement with the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina Boro Bronza on the purchase of a co-ownership share (15%) on the building of the former Yugoslav Republic.

Thus, Serbia has fully achieved 100% ownership over the building in which are located the Embassy, the Consular Department and the residence of the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in Switzerland.

Agreements on the purchase of shares of the Republic of Slovenia (14%) and Northern Macedonia (8%) were signed on 7 and 21 December 2021, while the agreement with the Republic of Croatia (23.5%) was signed on 2 February 2022.

The facility in Bern, with an area of slightly more than 1,800 m2, was built by the company "Energoprojekt" in 1978. In 2017, the canton of Bern included the building, whose value is officially estimated at 7,780,000 Swiss francs, in the list of protected cultural assets.

The building of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Serbia to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva was registered in January 2020 as the property of the Republic of Serbia, in accordance with the agreement of the former Yugoslav republics, based on Annex "B" of the Succession Agreement.

Today, the Republic of Serbia celebrates its National holiday, Sretenje - Statehood Day. Congratulations on the occasion of Serbian Statehood Day presented in a video message prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia with subtitles you may see on the following link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-MwafmeAEUA0iHaMzH9F-J-0LtbErJJt/view?usp=sharing
 

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic attended today in Geneva the signing of the Agreement on the Establishment of the World Economic Forum Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Serbia, the first of its kind in the Western Balkans.
The agreement was signed at the headquarters of that forum by Director of the Office for Information Technologies and eGovernment Mihailo Jovanovic and Managing Director and Head of the Forum's Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Jeremy Jurgens.
The centre in Serbia will be the 16th in the network of centres of the World Economic Forum in the world and the first in the region of the Western Balkans.
The new centre will start operating on 1 March and will function as a non-profit organisation and a platform for public-private partnership and cooperation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, while the focus of work will be on artificial intelligence and bioengineering.
This centre will work within the Serbian government’s Office for Information Technologies and eGovernment and will cooperate with scientific institutes, state institutions and the private sector.
The signing of this document was also attended by founder and Executive Director of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab and President of the World Economic Forum Borge Brende, with whom Brnabic had previously met.
Addressing the press, Brnabic pointed out that this agreement is the result of many years of joint work between Serbia and the World Economic Forum.
We started talking in 2018, signed a Memorandum of Understanding, then 2020 hampered us a bit, but we continued to plan in 2021 and here we are today, she said.
According to her, the centre will be focused on the development of artificial intelligence, biomedicine and biotechnology, and on the ways in which digitalisation can raise the productivity of companies and the entire economy.
This is what further leads to higher salaries, a better standard of living, as well as to an economy that is mainly based on knowledge, creativity and innovation, Brnabic emphasised.
Today, we have received great recognition for everything that Serbia has done in the field of digitalisation, development of high technologies and paradigm shift – from an economy that was based on labour-intensive investments to digital development.
That is why this agreement shows that Serbia has been recognised as one of the leaders in the economy and IT industry in the last six years, the Prime Minister pointed out and assessed that this is the announcement of the beginning of an even closer cooperation between Serbia and WEF.
She added that they will have a joint meeting with the 16 WEF centres for the fourth industrial revolution in the world every month, at which they will talk about what each of them is doing, since each has a different focus.
That is how we will hear what everyone is doing every month, learn from each other and I am sure that the centre in Belgrade will be one of the best, the Prime Minister said.
According to her, this gives us visibility, the opportunity to further establish Serbia as an investment destination, a country good for living and investing in new technologies and knowledge.
Jovanovic said that the ecosystem formed around the centre will use the infrastructure of the National Platform for the Development of Artificial Intelligence, the Centre for Genome Sequencing and the future bioeconomic centre – BIO4 Campus.

Izvor/Foto: Tanjug

20 MINUTEN AUF SERBISCH:«20 Minuten schlägt eine Brücke zwischen Serbien und der Schweiz»
Der serbische Botschafter ist überzeugt, dass der Ukraine-Konflikt friedlich beigelegt werden kann und hofft, dass Djokovic die Nummer eins bleibt. Ein Gespräch über Impfskepsis, Vorurteile und Schnaps.
von
Daniel Graf

Der serbische Botschafter Goran Bradić ist überzeugt, dass eine serbische Ausgabe der 20-Minuten-App die Beziehungen zwischen Serbinnen und Serben in der Schweiz und Verwandten im Heimatland stärken wird.

Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation Goran Bradić met with representatives of the Swiss branch of the humanitarian organization "28. June ” Darko Zoran and Jelena Obrenović. This non-profit association, with a special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), operates in Switzerland as a branch office with headquarters in Australia.
Activists of “28. June " informed the ambassador about the activities and results of organization in Switzerland so far, as well as the plans for the next period. It was stated that it is necessary to formally complete the registration of this organization in Switzerland as soon as possible, in order to continue the cooperation with partner organizations in the so-called DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). It was also agreed that it will be worked on connecting "28. June" with similar Swiss organizations, companies, as well as Serbian businessmen and associations of our citizens.

Der serbische Botschafter in der Schweiz Goran Bradić stellte am 6. Januar 2022 im Gespräch mit dem Präsidenten der Schweizerischen Handelskammer für Mittel- und Osteuropa Oliver Bertschinger und dem Generalsekretär des Schweizerischen Verbandes der Maschinen-, Elektro und Metallindustrie (Swissmem) Raoul Keller fest, dass die wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit beider Länder im Jahr 2021 sowie im Vorjahr 2020 trotz der Pandemie einen positiven Anstieg verzeichnete.
Die Gesprächspartner bekräftigten, dass Serbien nicht nur das grösste Land Südosteuropas sei, sondern auch ein Land, das im nächsten Jahrzent einer der wichtigsten Partner der Schweiz in der Region sein werde. Die Gäste waren sowohl an der Funktionsweise der „Open Balkan“ Initiative interessiert, als auch über die Vorteile Serbiens gegenüber der Balkanregion, wenn es um das Freihandelsabkommen mit der Eurasischen Wirtschaftsunion und der Türkei geht, worüber der Botschafter sie genauer informierte.
Der Wirtschaftsverband Swissmem vereint mit insgesamt 320‘000 Beschäftigten knapp 1‘300 schweizer Unternehmen der Maschinenbau- Elektronik- und Metall-Industrie. Im Jahr 2020 erzielten ihre Mitglieder einen Export von 61 Milliarden Franken, was 27% der schweizer Exporte ausmacht und sind mit 7% am BIP des Landes beteiligt.

Botschafter der Republik Serbien in der Schweiz Goran Bradić unterzeichnete am 21. Dezember 2021 mit dem Botschafter Nordmazedoniens Kenan Ramadani den Vertrag über den Kauf des nordmazedonischen Anteils am Botschaftsgebäude der ehemaligen SFRJ in Bern.
In den nächsten 30 Tagen werden Anteile Nordmazedoniens von 8% am Gebäude, in welchem sich die Botschaft, die Konsularabetilung und die Residenz befinden, übernommen. Somit wird Serbien Eigentümer von 61,5% des Objekts in Bern. Der Vertrag über den Kauf des Anteils der Republik Slowenien (14%) wurde am 7. Dezember 2021 unterzeichnet.
Das Gebäude, mit einer Fläche von 1.835 m2, wurde 1978 von der Firma „Energoprojekt“ gebaut und 2017 vom Kanton Bern zum Kulturdenkmal erklärt.

Botschafter der Republik Serbien in der Schweiz Goran Bradić unterzeichnete am 7. Dezember 2021 mit dem Botschafter Sloweniens Iztok Grmek den Vertrag über den Kauf des slowenischen Anteils am Botschaftsgebäude der ehemaligen SFRJ in Bern.
Slowenien werden für den Miteigentumsanteil von 14% am Objekt, in welchem sich die Botschaft, die Konsularabetilung und die Residenz der Republik Serbien befinden, 1.089.200 CHF überwiesen werden.
Das Gebäude, mit einer Fläche von 1.835 m2, wurde 1978 von der ehemaligen jugoslawischen Firma „Energoprojekt“ gebaut und 2017 vom Kanton Bern zum Kulturdenkmal erklärt.

Botschafter der Republik Serbien Goran Bradić traf sich in Bern mit Vertretern der „Vereinigung serbischer Unternehmer in der Schweiz“ (USPS). Bisherige Aktivitäten und Resultate des Vereins, dem dutzende Unternehmer aus Serbien und Bosnien und Herzegowina angehören, wurden an diesem Ereignis analysiert.
Sie erörterten über Vorbereitungen des Wirtschaftsforums der serbischen Diaspora, das im Mai 2022 in Zürich stattfinden soll.
Serbische Unternehmer und Geschäftspartner in der Schweiz sowie interessierte Firmen aus Serbien und der Republika Srpska versammelten sich an vergangenen Veranstaltungen (2016, 2017 und 2018), während die Treffen in den letzten zwei Jahren aufgrund der Pandemie ausfielen.
Am Treffen nahmen der Präsident der USPS Stojan Stevanović sowie Mitglieder des Präsidiums, Goran Janković, Radan und Ivan Avramović teil.

Die Botschaft der Republik Serbien in Bern und das „Serbian Swiss Business Network“ (SSBN) organisierten den „Tag der serbischen IT Branche“ (Serbian Tech Day). Rund 40 IT-Firmeninhaber, Programmierer und Software-Ingenieure, Wissenschaftler/Forscher, Master Studenten sowie Medizin-Experten, die sich für die Vernetzung zwischen Informatik und der medizinischen Forschung schweizweit engagieren, nahmen teil.
In seiner Ansprache hob Botschafter der Republik Serbien in Bern Goran Bradić hervor, dass das Hauptziel die Kooperationserweiterung zwischen Serbien und der Schweiz im Hightech Bereich sein sollte. Zudem betonte er, dass die beiden Länder noch mehr profitieren würden, wenn möglichst viele Schweizer Geschäftspartner in zukünftige Projekte mit einbezogen werden. Eine solche Synergie habe bisher die besten Ergebnisse erzielt.

Der Botschafter der Republik Serbien in Bern Goran Bradić nahm mit Gründer des World Economic Forum’s Professor Klaus Schwab und Präsident Berge Brenda an einem Arbeitsessen teil.
Bei diesem Treffen waren auch mehr als 90 in der Schweiz akkredierte Botschafter und Missionschefs anwesend. Bei dieser Gelegenheit wurden die Hauptthemen und Ziele des nächsten WEF-Treffens im Jahr 2022 diskutiert, an dem die Teilnahme von zahlreichen Staats- und Regierungschefs, Ministern und Managern verschiedener Unternehmen und Banken vorgesehen ist.
Das 51. WEF in Davost steht unter dem Motto „Der grosse Neustart“. Die Teilnehmer, darunter auch Präsident der Republik Serbien Aleksandar Vučić, werden die Möglichkeiten haben, über die aktuellen Herausforderungen, Probleme und Krisenherde in der Welt zu diskutieren und Meinungen auszutauschen. 

https://www.mfa.gov.rs/lat/mediji/aktivnosti-predstavnistava-srbije/bern-ambasador-bradic-na-sastanku-svetskog-ekonomskog-foruma

On 29. October 2021, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Nemanja Starović, passed a Decision on awarding national recognition for exceptional contribution, results and merits in the field of cooperation and strengthening ties between homeland and diaspora, as well as homeland and Serbs in the region. Insight into the adopted Decision, as well as the list of all received applications for the award of national recognition, can be obtained via the following links:

https://mfa.rs/lat
https://www.dijaspora.gov.rs/uprava-za-dijasporu-konkursi/
 

The first Teachers' Council in school year 2021/22 was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern, on Sunday, 14.11.2021. The Teachers' Council was led by the Coordinator, Mrs. Biljana Bukinac. Fifteen of the sixteen currently engaged teachers attended. 

On Saturday, 13.11.2021, in “Stadthalle Dietikon”, Canton of Zurich, the Association of Serbian Folklore of Switzerland, after a two-year break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, successfully organized a folklore festival. The event, which opened with the intonation of the anthem “Bože pravde“, gathered thirteen cultural and artistic societies, and as many as 638 participants, in front of over 1,000 spectators.

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic stated today that severe examples of endangering the Serbian cultural, historical and spiritual heritage in Kosovo and Metohija are proof of the important role of UNESCO in protecting and preserving heritage.

At the 41st session of the General Conference of UNESCO in Paris, Brnabic emphasized that four jewels of the Serbian medieval cultural heritage in Kosovo – Visoki Decani, Pec Patriarchate, Gracanica and Bogorodica Ljeviska, have been preserved thanks to the fact that they are inscribed on the endangered world heritage list. Hundreds of other sites and monuments are endangered.

The Serbian heritage in Kosovo and Metohija is of immeasurable importance, not only for the national identity of Serbia, but also as a part of the esteemed European and world heritage, she underlined.

Source/Photo: www.srbija.gov.rs

Wichtige Rolle der UNESCO bei Bewahrung des serbischen kulturellen Erbes in Kosmet, 12.11.2021

Die Ministerpräsidentin der Republik Serbien, Ana Brnabić, sagte heute, dass schwere Beispiele der Bedrohung des serbischen kulturellen, historischen und geistigen Erbes in Kosovo und Metochien davon zeugten, wie wichtig die Rolle der UNESCO bei Schutz und Bewahrung des Erbes sei. 

Bei der 41. UNESCO-Generalkonferenz in Paris betonte Brnabić, dass vier Meisterwerke des serbischen mittelalterlichen Kulturerbes in Kosmet – Visoki Dečani, das Patriarchenkloster Peć, Gračanica und die Gottesmutter-Kirche von Ljeviš – bewahrt worden seien, weil sie sich auf der Liste des gefährdeten Welterbes befänden, sowie dass hunderte Stätten und Denkmäler gefährdet seien.

Das serbische Erbe in Kosovo und Metochien sei von außerordentlicher Bedeutung nicht nur für die nationale Identität von Serbien, sondern auch als Teil des geschätzten europäischen und Welterbes.

Die Ministerpräsidentin wies auf Serbiens Loyalität gegenüber den Grundsätzen der UNESCO hin wie Dialog und Konsens, die auf den UN-Charta und der Verfassung der UNESCO gründen, weswegen wir uns kontinuierlich für die Entpolitisierung dieser Organisation einsetzen. 

Quelle/Foto: www.srbija.gov.rs
 

Un rôle important de l'UNESCO pour la préservation du patrimoine serbe au Kosovo-Metohija, 12.11.2021
La Première ministre de la République de Serbie Ana Brnabić a déclaré aujourd'hui que les exemples graves de mise en danger du patrimoine culturel, historique et spirituel serbe au Kosovo-Metohija sont la preuve de l'importance du rôle de l'UNESCO dans la protection et la préservation du patrimoine.
Lors de la 41e session de la Conférence générale de l'UNESCO à Paris, Brnabić a souligné que quatre joyaux du patrimoine culturel médiéval serbe au Kosovo-Metohija - Visoki Dečani, le Patriarcat de Peć, Gračanica et Vierge de Leviša, ont été préservés grâce au fait qu'ils sont inscrits sur la liste du patrimoine mondial en péril, mais que des centaines d'autres sites et monuments sont menacés.
Le patrimoine serbe au Kosovo-Metohija est d'une importance incommensurable non seulement pour l'identité nationale de la Serbie, mais aussi en tant que partie du patrimoine européen et mondial précieux, a-t-elle souligné.
La Première ministre a indiqué l'attachement de la Serbie aux principes fondamentaux de l'UNESCO - le dialogue et le consensus, fondés sur la Charte des Nations Unies et l'Acte constitutif de l'UNESCO, c'est pourquoi nous plaidons continuellement pour la dépolitisation de cette organisation.

Source/Photo: www.srbija.gov.rs
 

„Ihre Exzellenzen,
sehr geehrte Delegierte,
liebe Sarah,

gleich zu Beginn fühle ich mich verpflichtet, Premierminister Boris Johnson und der Regierung Ihrer Majestät für die außergewöhnliche Gastfreundschaft zu danken.

Ich bin privilegiert, die Republik Serbien an diesem wichtigen Ort und auf dem höchsten Weltgipfel zum wichtigsten Thema der heutigen Zeit – Förderung des Klimabewusstseins – zu vertreten.

Wir sind uns alle einig, dass wir in Klima und Umwelt investieren müssen.

Wir alle sind uns ebenfalls einig, dass zukünftige Generationen erzogen werden müssen, um die Fehler, die wir gemacht haben, nicht zu wiederholen, indem wir den einzigen Planeten verletzen, der das Leben ermöglicht.

Ich fühle mich sehr geehrt, dass die Republik Serbien als Vertreter der Osteuropäischen Ländergruppe außerhalb der EU den Ko-Vorsitz der diesjährigen Konferenz übernimmt.

Photo: Dimitrije Goll

Photo: Dimitrije Goll

"Your Excellences,
distinguished delegates,
dear Sarah,

At the very beginning, I feel obliged to thank Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Her Majesty’s Government for exceptional hospitality.

I feel privileged to represent the Republic of Serbia at this important place and at the highest-level world forum, in working on the most important topic of today – promoting climate awareness.

We all agree that we must make investment into climate and environment.

We all, likewise agree, that future generations must be educated in order not to repeat the mistakes we made, by hurting the only Planet that makes life possible.

I am very honoured that the Republic of Serbia is co-chairing this year’s Conference as a Non-EU representative of the

Eastern Europe Group.

Photo: Dimitrije Goll

Photo: Dimitrije Goll

Der Botschafter der Republik Serbien in der Schweiz und Liechtenstein Goran Bradić besuchte Vaduz mit einer grösseren Gruppe von in Bern akkreditierten Botschaftern, wo er unter anderem auch die Gelegenheit für ein informelles Gespräch mit dem Premierminister Daniel Risch und der Aussenministerin des Fürstentums Liechtenstein Dominique Hasler hatte.
Die Regierungverteter Liechtensteins haben im Rahmen der Veranstatlung „Ambassadors Day“  die Prioritäten des neuen Kabinetts vorgestellt.

Botschafter Bradić mit Staatssekretärin des EDA Livia Leu (27.10.2021)

Botschafter der Republik Serbien Goran Bradić traf sich mit Livia Leu, Staatssekretärin des Eidgenössischen Departements für auswärtige Angelegenheiten.
Während des Gesprächs wurde beiderseits festgestellt, dass die bilateralen, politischen sowie wirtschaftlichen Beziehungen auch während dieses Jahres, trotz den pandemiebedingten Restriktionen, ein hoches Qualitätsniveau an Vielfalt und Intensität beibehalten haben.

Dialog und Umsetzung der Vereinbarungen sind einziger guter Weg zur Lösung von offenen Fragen

Die Rede von Serbiens Außenminister Nikola Selaković bei der Sitzung des Sicherheitsrates der Vereinten Nationen zum Thema Arbeit der UNMIK:

Sehr geehrter Vorsitzender des Sicherheitsrates,

sehr geehrte Mitglieder des Sicherheitsrates,

sehr geehrter Sonderbeauftragter,

ich möchte mich beim Generalsekretär der Vereinten Nationen, Herrn Guterres, sowie beim  Sonderbeauftragten des Generalsekretärs und Leiter der UNMIK, Herrn Tanin, für den Bericht und die Bemühungen um die Ausführung des Auftrags der UNMIK bedanken. Ich danke auch den Mitgliedstaaten des Sicherheitsrates für die kontinuierliche Aufmerksamkeit für Kosovo und Metochien. Die Republik Serbien schätzt die Arbeit der UNMIK hoch und setzt sich für ein möglichst effizientes Engagement der UNMIK laut Resolution 1244 des Sicherheitsrates im selben Umfang und mit dem Ziel der Erreichung und Bewahrung von dauerhaftem Frieden, Stabilität und Sicherheit in der Provinz ein.

Distinguished President of the Security Council,

Esteemed members of the Security Council,

Distinguished Special Representative,
I would like to thank Secretary-General of the United Nations Mr. Guterres and Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMIK Mr. Tanin for the report submitted and for their efforts made towards the implementation of the UNMIK mandate. I would also like to thank the members of the Security Council for the continued attention they have devoted to the issue of Kosovo and Metohija. The Republic of Serbia highly values the activities of the Mission of the United Nations in Kosovo and Metohija and supports it in carrying out its work as efficiently as possible, pursuant to the UN Security Council Resolution 1244, and undiminished in scope, aiming to build and preserve lasting peace, stability and security in the Province.

Decision on co-financing of projects for diaspora, 04.10.2021.
On 4. October 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia adopted a Decision on co-financing projects that contribute through its merits to preserving and strengthening connections between the homeland and the diaspora, and the homeland and Serbs in the region. Decisions can be found here:

https://mfa.rs/lat
https://www.dijaspora.gov.rs/uprava-za-dijasporu-konkursi/

26 September 2021

Telephone conversation of President Vučić and General Secretary of NATO

The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has discussed today by phone with the General Secretary of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg about, as the General Secretary said, worrisome situation in northern Kosovo and Metohija.

26. September 2021

Telefonat zwischen Präsident Vučić und NATO-Generalsekretär

Präsident der Republik Serbien Aleksandar Vučić telefonierte heute mit NATO-Generalsekretär Jens Stoltenberg anlässlich, nach Worten des Generalsekretärs, der besorgniserregenden Situation in Kosovo und Metochien.

Le 26 septembre 2021
L’Entretien téléphonique du président Vučić avec le secrétaire général de l'OTAN

Le président de la République de Serbie Aleksandar Vučić a eu  aujourd'hui un entretien téléphonique avec le secrétaire général de l'OTAN Jens Stoltenberg, concernant, comme l'a dit le secrétaire général, la situation préoccupante dans le nord du Kosovo-Metohija.

Le 25 septembre 2021

Selaković à New York avec 28 ministres des Affaires étrangères sur les succès économiques de la Serbie et la situation au Kosovo-Metohija

Le ministre serbe des Affaires étrangères Nikola Selaković, a déclaré à New York avoir informé les ministres des Affaires étrangères de 28 pays des succès économiques de la Serbie, mais aussi de la situation au Kosovo-Metohija, dont il a également discuté avec le ministre russe des Affaires étrangères Sergueï Lavrov, qui lui a dit que nous pouvions compter sur le soutien de la Fédération de Russie lorsqu’il s’agit des intérêts de la Serbie au Kosovo-Metohija.

25. September 2021

Selaković sprach in New York mit 28 Außenministern über wirtschaftliche Erfolge Serbiens und die Situation in Kosovo und Metochien

Serbiens Außenminister Nikola Selaković sagte in New York, dass er die Außenminister von 28 Staaten mit wirtschaftlichen Erfolgen Serbiens sowie der Situation in Kosovo und Metochien bekannt gemacht habe. Darüber sprach er mit dem russischen Außenminister Sergei Lawrow, der sagte, dass wir mit der Unterstützung Russlands in Bezug auf die Interessen Serbiens in Kosovo und Metochien rechnen könnten.

Ministerpräsidentin der Republik Serbien Ana Brnabić sagte heute, dass Priština die lokale und regionale Stabilität bedrohe, nachdem es schwer bewaffnete Einheiten in den Norden von Kosmet gesendet habe, die gegen die friedliche serbische Bevölkerung brutal vorgingen.

Brnabić  sprach heute bei der Generaldebatte  im Rahmen der 76. Sitzung der Generalversammlung der Vereinten Nationen in New York.
 

La Première ministre de la République de Serbie Ana Brnabić a averti aujourd'hui que Priština a sérieusement mis en danger la stabilité locale et régionale après avoir envoyé des unités spéciales lourdement armées dans le nord du Kosovo, qui font montre de brutalité envers la population serbe pacifique.

Brnabić a pris la parole lors du débat général des dirigeants mondiaux, dans le cadre de la 76e session de l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies à New York.

On behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Nikola Selaković, Ambassador of Serbia to Switzerland Goran Bradić signed the Final Acts of the World Postal Congress in the Secretariat of the International Postal Union (UPU) in Bern today.

The UPU Congress, in which the Republic of Serbia has an active and significant role, was held in Abidjan from 9. to 27. August 2021. Ambassador Mr. Bradić signed the Constitution, General Regulations and the Universal Postal Convention.

The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has attended today the opening of the factory for the production of electrical lighting of the Swiss company “Regent Lighting! In Svilajnac and announced investment in the infrastructure of this region which was, a he said, important for its population, but also for investors.

President Vučić told the gathered citizens that the state had invested in the facilities and infrastructure in that town EUR 16 mil. and announced investments in the amount of about EUR 25 mil. into the project of the Svilajnac bypass, with two bridges, across the Resava and Morava rivers.

Serbiens Ministerpräsidentin Ana Brnabić hat am virtuellen vom Weißen Haus veranstalteten Globalen Corona-Gipfel teilgenommen, den der Präsident der USA, Joseph Biden, einberufen hat.

Auf dem virtuellen Gipfel nehmen viele Anführer der Welt und Spitzenbeamte internationaler Organisationen teil wie Generalsekretär der Vereinten Nationen António Guterres, EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen, die britischen und kanadischen Ministerpräsidenten Boris Johnson und Justin Trudeau, die deutsche Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel und viele andere. 

Die Ministerpräsidentin hat gesagt, dass Serbien eines der ersten europäischen Länder gewesen sei, die Impfstoffe gegen Covid-19 erhalten hätten, sowie dass sie als erste unter den europäischen Ministerpräsidentinnen und –präsidenten geimpft worden sei.

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic participated today at the Global COVID-19 summit, organised by the White House, which was opened by US President Joseph Biden.

The video messages are attended by a large number of world leaders and officials of international organizations, including UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British and Canadian Prime Ministers, Boris Johnson and Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and many others.

In the message, the Prime Minister pointed out that Serbia was among the first European countries to procure a covid vaccine, and that she was the first European Prime Minister to receive the vaccine.

Der Präsident der Republik Serbien Aleksandar Vučić nahm an der Eröffnung des Leuchtenherstellers „Regent Lighting“ in Svilajnac (Zentralserbien) teil und annoncierte bei dieser Gelegenheit auch künftige Investitionen in die Infrastruktur der Region, die sowohl für die Bewohner als auch für die Investoren von Bedeutung sind.
Präsident Vučić erklärte, dass aus dem staatlichen Budget bis jetzt 16 Millionen Euro in verschiedene Objekte und Infrasturktur in Svilajnac investiert wurden und verkündete weitere Investitionen in diesem Bereich in Höhe von rund 25 Millionen Euro.

Der Botschafter der Republik Serbien in der Schweiz Goran Bradić organisierte einen Empfang anlässlich des Besuchs des Staatssekretärs des Ministeriums für auswärtige Angelegenheiten Serbiens Nemanja Starović und des stellvertretenden Ministers für Bildung, Wissenschaft und technologische Entwicklung Dr. Saša Lazović. Die beiden hochrangingen Repräsentanten der zwei Ministerien nahmen am 13. und 14. September an der „SEEIIST“ Konferenz (South East European International Institue for Sustainable Technologies) in Bern teil.

Der serbische Botschafter in der Schweiz Goran Bradić nahm an einer Podiumsdiskussion zum Thema der wirtschaftlichen Erholung in Europa nach der Corona-Pandemie teil, die in Zürich von der Schweizerischen Handelskammer für Mitteleuropa organisiert wurde.

Der Präsident der Schweizerischen Handelskammer, Oliver Bertschinger, CEO der „Switzerland Global Enterprise“, Dr. Simone Wyss Fedele, Vizepräsidentin der Schweizerischen Exportrisikoversicherung SERV, Verena Utzinger sowie Analysten diverser Banken und Eigentümer in der Mittel- und Osteuropa Region tätiger Schweizer Unternehmen, sprachen über die Auswirkungen der Pandemie auf Unternehmen in der Schweiz und anderen europäischen Ländern.

Es wurde festgestellt, dass Unternehmen in der Mittel- und Osteurpa Region eine gute Wahl für die Diversität der Lieferwege, Produktion bestimmter Waren und Erbringung von Dienstleistungen darstellen, die bisher hauptsächlich von Unternehmen in Asien und anderen Regionen der Welt erbracht wurden. Die Empfehlung an amerikanische, europäische und schweizerische Investoren lautet, die Gelegenheiten zu nutzen, um neue Geschäftskontakte zu knüpfen und die Wirtschaftsbeziehungen zu Partnern in der Mittel- und Osteuropa Region zu stärken.

Der Botschafter der Republik Serbien in der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft, Herrn Goran Bradić, stimmte der Einschätzung des Bundesrats Ignazio Cassis zu, dass die politischen und diplomatischen Beziehungen zwischen den beiden Ländern gut sind. Die Zusammenarbeit im Bereich der Wirtschaft, Kultur sowie in anderen Segmenten hat enormes Potenzial für eine weitere Stärkung und Vertiefung.
Besondere Beachtung schenkte Bundesrat Cassis der bevorstehenden „SEEIIST“ (South East European International Institute for Sustainable Technologies) Regionalkonferenz, die am 13. und 14. September in Bern stattfindet. An dieser Konferenz nehmen Delegationen von etwa 10 Ländern, einschliesslich Serbien, teil. Mehrere Minister für auswärtige Angelegenheiten und/oder für Wissenschaft und Technologie werden erwartet, d.h. die hohen Vertreter der Mitgliedsstaaten der genannten Initiative.
Minister Cassis interessierte sich ebenfalls dafür, wie Republik Serbien die Position, den Status und die Aktivitäten der serbischen Diaspora und ihrer Verbände in der Schweiz bewertet.

An informative exchange of views between Ambassador Bradić and representatives of the SSBN (Serbian Swiss Business Network) – Marjia Srbljin (Nestle) and Željko Mijatović (EDA & “trookout”) about the possibilities for an intensified cooperation of the Serbian Swiss business diaspora with partners in Serbia.

SSBN counts currently around 1.200 memebers who are connected through the Linked-In platform.

Ein aufschlussreicher Meinungsaustausch des Botschafters Bradić mit Vertretern des SSBN (Serbian Swiss Business Network) – Marija Srbljin und Željko Mijatović über noch stärkere Vernetzung der serbisch-schweizerischen Business Diaspora mit Partnern in Serbien.

SSBN zählt derzeit etwa 1.200 Mitglieder, die über die Plattform Linked-In verbunden sind.

Le président de la République de Serbie, Aleksandar Vučić, il a assisté à la célébration du Jour du Souvenir de tous les Serbes morts et expulsés dans l'Opération « Tempête » et il a déclaré que la Serbie se souvient !

« Aujourd'hui, alors que nous nous souvenons à nouveau de ce qui s'est passé en Août 1995, d’un terrible pogrom, de l'expulsion de plus de 250 000 Serbes, de l'exode et du nettoyage ethnique, nous nous rappelons également qui nous sommes, ce que nous sommes, d'où nous venons et où nous allons. Merci à tous d'être ici avec nous ce soir et d'avoir montré à quel point nous aimons notre peuple. » a déclaré le président Vučić et il a ajouté que nous n'oublierons pas tout ce que le peuple de la Krajina a dû traverser.

« Pour nous, ce n’est pas seulement un nombre terrible de victimes. » a déclaré le président Vučić et il a souligné que la Serbie n'oubliera jamais cet évènement.

« L'histoire ne s'est jamais refaite comme aujourd'hui. C'est pourquoi je voudrais nous rappeler à tous, non seulement ce que les autres nous ont fait, ne pas vouloir exister, mais aussi à ce que nous avons fait à nous-mêmes, comme si on ne voulait pas exister. » a déclaré le président et il a mentionné qu'il ne doit plus jamais arriver que la Serbie oublie ses héros silencieux.

Der Präsident der Republik Serbien, Aleksandar Vučić, hat an der Begehung des Erinnerungstages an alle getöteten und vertriebenen Serben in der Militäroperation „Sturm“ teilgenommen und gesagt, dass Serbien sich erinnert!

„Heute, wenn wir an die Ereignisse im August 1995 erinnern, an einen grausamen Pogrom und die Vertreibung von mehr als 250.000 Serben, an den Exodus und die ethnische Säuberung, erinnern wir uns zugleich daran, wer wir sind, woher wir kommen und wohin wir gehen. Ich danke allen, dass wir heute Abend zusammen sind und die Liebe für unser Volk zeigen“, sagte Präsident Vučić sowie dass wir nie vergessen würden, was die Menschen in Krajina hätten ertragen müssen.

„Für uns sind das nicht nur furchtbare Opferzahlen“, sagte der Präsident und betonte, dass Serbien es nicht vergessen werde.

„Nie hat es so einen Geschichtsrevisionismus gegeben wie heute. Deshalb möchte ich uns alle an das erinnern, was nicht nur andere uns angetan haben, weil sie wollten, dass wir verschwinden, sondern auch an das, was wir uns gemacht haben, als ob es unser Wusch gewesen wäre, dass es uns nicht gibt“, sagte der Präsident und wiederholte, dass Serbien seine stillen Helden nie vergessen dürfe.

The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, attended the marking of Remembrance Day of all the victims and expelled Serbs in the armed operation "Storm" and said that Serbia remembers!

"Today, when we remind ourselves again of what happened in August 1995, the terrible pogrom, the expulsion of more than 250,000 Serbs, the exodus and ethnic cleansing, we, at the same time, and finally, remind ourselves of who we are, what we are, where we come from and where we are going. Thank you all for being here together tonight and for showing how much we love our people", said President Vučić, adding that we will not forget any of the things that the Krajina people had to go through.

"For us, these are not just terrible numbers of victims", said President Vučić and emphasized that Serbia will not forget.

"History has never been rewritten like today. That is why I want to remind us all not only of what others have done to us, not wanting us to exist, but also of what we have done to ourselves, just as if we ourselves did not want to exist", said the President, noting that we must never again allow Serbia to forget its silent heroes.

Die Ministerpräsidentin der Republik Serbien, Ana Brnabić, sagte bei einem in New York zum Thema Digitalisierung und IT-Sektor stattfindenden Treffen, dass sie in ihrer bisherigen Amtszeit als Ministerpräsidentin auf den Erfolg Serbiens im Bereich Digitalisierung am stolzesten sei.

Brnabić, die zu einem zweitägigen Besuch in den USA ist, sagte, dass sie im August 2016, als sie zu Ministerin für Staatsverwaltung und Lokalselbstverwaltung ernannt wurde, alles habe tun wollen, um den öffentlichen Dienst zu ändern sowie alles, was sie als Bürgerin gestört habe.

Sie sagte, dass sie am Anfang ihres Amtes als Ministerpräsidentin gewusst habe, was Vorrang habe und dass man zuerst die Digitalisierung fördern, mit der Bildungsreform anfangen und die Wirtschaft verbessern sollte.

We have decided – our goal was and remains the EU, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said in an interview with the German daily "Handelsblatt", adding that there is no alternative for Serbia, but also stressing that China is an important partner for Serbia, and that the task of the state is to take care about the interests of its citizens.

He thus answered the question of what Serbia will choose once it has to choose between close relations with Beijing or the EU. Vučić emphasized that Serbia wants to become a full member of the EU.

"We are connected by history, common culture, EU members are already undoubtedly our most important partners", he explained and added that the trade exchange between Germany and China is 3,000 times higher than between Serbia and China, and, as he noted, even despite that, Serbia's business operations with China are portrayed as a problem.

-Nous avons pris la décision - notre objectif est et reste l'UE, a déclaré le Président serbe Aleksandar Vučić dans une interview accordée au quotidien allemand «Handelsblatt» et qu'il n'y a aucune autre alternative pour la Serbie, mais il a également souligné que la Chine est un partenaire important pour la Serbie, et la tâche de l'État est de veiller à l'intérêt de ses citoyens.

Il a ainsi répondu à la question ce que la Serbie choisira lorsqu’elle devra choisir entre les relations étroites avec Pékin ou l'UE. Vučić a souligné que la Serbie veut devenir membre à part entière de l'UE.

-Nous sommes liés par l'histoire, la culture commune, les membres de l'UE sont déjà nos partenaires les plus importants, a-t-il expliqué ajoutant que les échanges commerciaux entre l'Allemagne et la Chine sont 3 000 fois plus élevés qu'entre la Serbie et la Chine, mais, note-t-il, ce sont toutefois les affaires de la Serbie avec la Chine qui posent problème.
 

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, stated at a gathering dedicated to digitalization and the IT sector, which was held in New York, that since she became Prime Minister, she is most proud of Serbia's success in the field of digitalization.

Brnabić, who is on a two-day visit to the United States, said that when she was elected Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government in August 2016, she wanted to do everything to change the public administration and what bothered her as a citizen.

She stated that, when she took office as Prime Minister, she knew what her priorities were and that first of all, digitalization needed to be raised to a higher level, that the education reform was supposed to begin, as well as work on strengthening the economy.

La Première ministre de la République de Serbie Ana Brnabić a déclaré lors de la réunion consacrée au numérique et au secteur IT, tenue à New York, que depuis qu'elle est devenue Première ministre, sa plus grande fierté c’est le succès de la Serbie dans le domaine de la numérisation.

Brnabić, en une visite de deux jours aux États-Unis, a dit que lorsqu'elle a été élue ministre de l'administration publique et des collectivités locales en août 2016, elle voulait tout faire pour changer l'administration publique et ce qui la dérangeait en tant que citoyenne.
 

Der serbische Botschafter in der Schweiz, Goran Bradić, traf sich mit Christoph Ammann, Wirtschafts-, Energie- und Umweltdirektor des Kantons Bern.

Während des Gesprächs wurden Informationen und Meinungen über die Intensivierung der Zusammenarbeit zwischen Serbien und der Schweiz in verschiedenen Bereichen ausgetauscht, mit der Schlussfolgerung dass ein grosses Potenzial für ihre Weiterentwicklung, insbesondere im Bereich der High-Tech-Entwicklung und-Forschung besteht.

Serbian Ambassador to Switzerland Goran Bradić met with Christoph Ammann, Minister for Economig Affairs, Energy and the Environment of the Canton of Bern.

During the conversation, information and opinions were exchanged about the intensification of cooperation between Serbia and Switzerland in different fields, with the conclusion that there is great potential for its further development, especially in the field of high-tech development and research.

Die Handelskammer Schweiz-Mitteleuropa (Zentraleuropa und Südosteuropa) organisierte eine Videokonferenz über eine zukünftige institutionelle Zusammenarbeit mit interessierten Partnern. Manager mehrerer grosser Schweizer Unternehmen, Vertreter des Staatssekretariats für Wirtschaft (SECO), Wirtschaftsverbände, Büroleiter der Handelskammer aus Bulgarien, Ungarn, Polen, Tschechien, Rumänien sowie einige Botschaften der südosteuropäischen Region nahmen an der Konferenz teil.
An der Konferenz wurden Ideen und Vorschläge zur Stärkung der Zusammenarbeit zwischen der Institution und ihren Partnern sowohl in der Schweiz als auch mit bestehenden oder einigen neuen Akteuren in SEE-Ländern in Erwägung gezogen.

The Swiss Chamber of Commerce for Southeast Europe organized a video conference on future institutional cooperation with interested partners. Managers of several large Swiss companies, representatives of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), office managers of the Chamber of Commerce of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and several embassies from the Southeast European region took part in the conference.
Ideas and suggestions for strengthening cooperation between the institution and its partners both in Switzerland and with existing or some new actors in SEE countries were considered at the conference.

Auf Initiative von Professor Petar Gojković vom Verein „MONDO KULT“ aus Paris war der „Karavan der Kultur“ während der Europatournee vom 15. – 17. dieses Monats in der Schweiz zu Gast. Arrangiert wurde das Ganze vom „Verband der Serben in Frankreich“ und dem Verein „Wurzeln“. Das Kulturprogramm wurde in Zusammenarbeit mit Präsidenten des Vereins „Wurzeln“ Stojan Stojanović und durch Unterstützung der Botschaft der Republik Serbien in Bern, in der Kirche „Maria Himmelfahrt“ in Zürich-Schwamendingen organisiert.

Botschafter Goran Bradić begrüsste zu Beginn des Abends alle Anwesenden. Daraufhin präsentierten die Künstler ein attraktives und vielfältiges Kulturprogramm.

As a part of a European tour, “Caravan of Culture” was a guest in Switzerland from 15. - 17.06. On the initiative of Professor Petar Gojković from the association “MONDO CULT” from Paris, the event was arranged by the “Union of Serbs in France” and the “Roots” association. The cultural program was organized in the „Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary“ in Schwamendingen near Zurich, in cooperation with the president of the association „Roots“, Stojan Stojanović and with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern.

Ambassador Goran Bradić greeted everyone present at the beginning of the evening. Afterwards the artists presented an attractive and diverse cultural program.

Der Botschafter Serbiens in der Schweiz Herrn Goran Bradić begrüsste zusammen mit den Bediensteten Mitglieder der Parlamentarischen Freundschaftsgruppe Schweiz – Serbien wie auch Vertreter des Eidgenössischen Departements für auswärtige Angelegenheiten (EDA).

Während des Treffens wurde die stetige Entwicklung und Stärkung, besonders im wirtschaftlichen und politischen Bereich diskutiert. Zudem hat Botschafter Bradić die Meinungen mit den Gesprächspartnern hinsichtlich der Beziehungen zwischen Serbien und den Ländern des Westbalkans sowie über weitere aktuelle Themen ausgetauscht.

Serbian Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation Goran Bradić and colleagues hosted members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group Switzerland- Serbia and representatives of the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The constant development and strengthening, especially in the economic and political area was discussed during the meeting. Ambassador Bradić also exchanged views with his interlocutors on issues concerning the relations between Serbia and the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as other current topics.

09. June 2021.

Address by the President of the Republic of Serbia at the session of the United Nations Security Council

Dear Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, members of the delegations

I would point to a few ongoing issues in my speech that refer to the competences of the Mechanism, namely, the possibility of serving the sentences passed by the ICTY and Mechanism in the Republic of Serbia, with the current practice of disabling early release of the sentenced persons as well as obligation of the Mechanism regarding protection of sentenced persons.

The second part of the speech will be dedicated to issues that are opened by the six –month Report on the work of the Mechanism by Mechanism President Mr. Agius and Report by the Chief Prosecutor Mr. Serge Brammertz, especially regarding current cooperation of the Republic of Serbia and the Mechanism.

The third part of my speech, and I noticed that in many of your statements even today, is going to be the view of Serbia on everything that took place in The Hague Tribunal and what the Tribunal verdicts brought to people in the region of former Yugoslavia.
 

Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Switzerland, Mr. Goran Bradić, met with Ms. Karin Keller-Sutter, the Federal Councillor of Justice and Policedepartement of Switzerland.

The cooperation in the sphere of the Justice and Policedepartement is rated by both sides as good and intensive. Federal Councillor Keller-Sutter emphasized the importance of collaboration in the area of migration management and the fight against organized crime and terrorism.

Botschafter der Republik Serbien in der Schweiz, Herrn Goran Bradić, traf sich mit der schweizerischen Bundesrätin des Justiz- und Polizeidepartements, Frau Karin Keller-Sutter.

Die Zusammenarbeit im Gebiet des Justiz- und Polizeidepartements wird beiderseits als gut und intensiv bewertet. Frau Bundesrätin Keller-Sutter betonte die Bedeutung der Zusammenarbeit im Bereich der Migrationssteuerung, der Bekämpfung der organisierten Kriminalität und des Terrorismus.

Die Delegation des Ministeriums für Bau, Verkehr und Infrastruktur, verweilte unter der Leitung des Ministers Tomislav Momirović, vom 30. Mai bis am 1. Juni zu Besuch in der Schweiz. Minister Momirović hatte mehrere Sitzungen mit der Geschäftsleitung und den Direktoren der Firma „Stadler Rail AG“, die dem serbischen Staat in den nächsten Monaten drei Doppelstockzüge für Geschwindigkeiten bis zu 200km/h liefern wird.

MINISTER FOR CONSTRUCTION, TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA VISITS THE COMPANY „STADLER RAIL AG“, May 30th – June 1st, 2021

The delegation from the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, led by Minister Tomislav Momirović, visited Switzerland from May 30 to June 1. Minister Momirović had several meetings with the management and directors of factories within the company „Stadler Rail AG“. The corporation will deliver three sets of double-decker-trains at speeds up to 200km/h, within the next months to Serbia.

In Belgrad wurde heute die neue Dienstleistung des Außenministeriums „E-Konsulat“ vorgestellt, die für ausländische Staatsbürger bestimmt ist, die ein Visum beantragen und in Serbien arbeiten wollen.

Dabei sagte der Außenminister der Republik Serbien, Nikola Selaković, dass diese Dienstleistung einer der Indikatoren der guten Entwicklung unseres Landes sei und wichtige fremde Unternehmen sowie viele Arbeiter aus anderen Ländern nach Serbien anlocke.

„Ich möchte nicht prätentiös, sondern ganz objektiv sein und sagen, dass diese Dienstleistung eine Wende in unserem System darstellt. Das „E-Konsulat“ und die Digitalisierung der Erteilung von Arbeitsvisa für fremde Arbeiter, die in Serbien arbeiten wollen, sind die erste elektronische Dienstleistung des Außenministeriums und ich kann ihnen versprechen, dass sie nicht die letzten elektronischen Dienstleistungen  sind“, sagte Selaković.

Un nouveau service a été présenté aujourd’hui du Ministère des Affaires étrangères, e-Consulat, destiné aux ressortissants étrangers demandant un visa de travail pour la Serbie.

A cette occasion le ministre des Affaires étrangères de la République de Serbie Nikola Selaković a dit que ce service était l’un des signes du bon développement de notre pays qui, comme il l’a souligné, attirait de plus en plus les groupes étrangers d’envergure, faisant venir un grand nombre d’ouvriers d’autres pays pour travailler en Serbie.

- Je ne veux pas être prétentieux, mais tout à fait réaliste, en disant que ce service représente un tournant dans le fonctionnement de notre système. E-Consulat et la numérisation du procédé de délivrance des visas de travail aux ressortissants étrangers voulant travailler en Serbie, c’est le premier service virtuel du MAE et je peux vous permettre qu’il s’agit d’un premier e-service, mais surtout pas du dernier, a souligné Selaković.

A new service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs "e-Consulate" was presented in Belgrade today, intended for foreign citizens who apply for a visa and aspire to come to Serbia to work.

On that occasion, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Nikola Selakovic said that this service was one of the indicators of good development of our country, which, as he pointed out, was becoming a magnet for serious foreign companies, which brought a large number of workers from other countries to work in Serbia.

"Not to be pretentious, but completely realistic, this service represents a turning point in the functioning of our system. E-Consulate and digitalization of the procedure for issuing work visas for foreign citizens who want to work in Serbia, is the first electronic service offered by the Foreign Ministry, and I can promise you that this is indeed our first, but by no means the last e-service", Selakovic emphasized.

President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić talked today via a video link with the representatives of the delegation of the International Monetary Fund led by the Head of the Mission, Jan Kees Martijn. The interlocutors concluded that Serbia's main goal remains to preserve the hard-earned reputation of a fiscally secure country, as well as to continue with a responsible fiscal policy so that public debt does not exceed 60 per cent of GDP, whereby Serbia continues to work on further economic growth.

During the conversation, President Vučić and Jan Kees Martijn especially referred to the incentive measures and adopted three packages of measures to help the economy and citizens, which preserved macroeconomic stability and even achieved a higher employment rate. Martijn commended the responsible economic policy of Serbia and the successful crisis management during the pandemic.

"Serbia achieved one of the best results last year despite the challenges of the pandemic", Martijn said, noting that Serbia was one of the few countries to which the IMF did not adjust the initial projection of the 5% growth rate it gave last year.

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic talked today with World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge about the epidemiological situation and the course of immunisation of citizens in Serbia.

Brnabic expressed gratitude for the cooperation in the fight against the pandemic, technical assistance and expertise, emphasising that the support of this organisation is very important for our country.

She informed the WHO Regional Director for Europe about the course of immunisation of citizens in Serbia, expressing her belief that, thanks to the large number of vaccinated people, we will be able to create collective immunity and return to normal life.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Nikola Selakovic stated today that Pristina further persisted in its campaign of hatred against the Serbian people, which was most drastically seen in the unfounded accusations of mass rapes and genocide.

At the UN Security Council meeting discussing the Report of the UN Secretary-General on the work of UNMIK, Selakovic emphasized that the efforts of the provisional institutions in Kosovo and Metohija to create a narrative about mass rapes of Albanian women were obvious, and that propaganda methods and lies were used for that purpose.

"It is clear that there were victims on all sides in the conflict, as well as that our side has evidence of numerous Serb victims. But the precondition for ensuring the protection of rights that belong to each individual victim is a rational and well-argued approach", Selakovic said responding to the slander of the Pristina representative.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Nikola Selakovic warned, at the United Nations Security Council meeting, that the political extremism among Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija was not decreasing, but on the contrary, was becoming stronger.

At the meeting discussing the Report of the UN Secretary-General on the work of UNMIK, Minister Selakovic recalled that the obligation to form the Community of Serb Municipalities  remained unfulfilled for 2,917 days now and that, in fact, 19 April marked eight full years since the agreement was reached in Brussels, while Pristina still refused to follow up on its commitment and enable the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities. 

Le ministre des Affaires étrangères Nikola Selaković a constaté ce soir que Priština persiste à faire sa campagne de haine contre le peuple serbe, ce qui ressort le plus drastiquement en accusations sans arguments de viols massifs et de génocide.
Selaković a souligné, lors de la session du Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU dédiée au rapport du Secrétaire général de l’ONU sur le travail de la MINUK, que les tentatives sont manifestes des institutions intérimaires du Kosovo et Metohija de créer le narratif sur les viols massifs des Albanaises, utilisant à cet effet les méthodes de propagandes et de mensonges.

Serbiens Außenminister Nikola Selaković hat heute Abend gesagt, dass Priština auf einer Hasskampagne gegen das serbische Volk beharre, wovon die unbegründeten Vorwürfe wegen Massenvergewaltigungen und Völkermordes zeugten.

Selaković betonte bei der Sitzung des Sicherheitsrates der Vereinten Nationen, bei der der Bericht des Generalsekretärs der Vereinten Nationen über die Arbeit der UNMIK zur Debatte stand, dass die vorläufigen Institutionen in Kosovo und Metochien offensichtlich ein Narrativ von Massenvergewaltigungen von Albanerinnen entstehen lassen wollten und zu diesem Zweck Propaganda und Lügen benutzten. 

Le Ministre des Affaires étrangères de Serbie Nikola Selaković a averti, lors de la session du Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies, que l’extrémisme politique parmi les Albanais du Kosovo et Metohija ne faiblissait pas, au contraire il devenait de plus en plus fort.
Selaković, à la session où a été discuté le rapport du Secrétaire général de l’ONU sur le travail de la MINUK, a rappelé que l’obligation de former l’Association des municipalités serbes n’a pas été remplie il y a 2.917 jours déjà et qu’en fait le 19 avril sera huit ans depuis l’accord fait à Bruxelles, Priština refusant toujours de remplir son obligation et permettre la mise en place de l’Association des municipalités serbes.

Serbiens Außenminister Nikola Selaković hat bei der Sitzung des Sicherheitsrates der Vereinten Nationen gewarnt, dass der politische Extremismus der Albaner in Kosovo und Metochien nicht schwächer sondern immer stärker werde.

Selaković hat bei der Sitzung, in der der Bericht des Generalsekretärs der Vereinten Nationen über die Arbeit der UNMIK zur Debatte stand, daran erinnert, dass die Pflicht zur Gründung der Gemeinschaft der serbischen Gemeinden schon 2917 Tage nicht erfüllt werde und dass am 19. April schon acht Jahre vergangen seien, seit das Brüsseler Abkommen geschlossen worden sei sowie dass Priština noch immer seiner Pflicht nicht nachkomme und die Gründung der Gemeinschaft der serbischen Gemeinden nicht ermögliche.

ВАЖНО САОПШТЕЊЕ
Због појаве коронавируса међу запосленима, Амбасада Републике Србије у Берну, у складу са превентивним мерама Швајцарске Конфедерације за сузбијање и превенцију COVID-19, ОБУСТАВЉА свој рад у периоду 01-09.04.2021. године.
Отказују се сви заказани термини за конзуларне услуге, због чега се најискреније извињавамо. За издавање спроводнице и путног листа, потребно је да се обратите Генералном конзулату Републике Србије у Цириху (www.konzulat.ch).
Лицима којима су термини отказани биће дата предност у пријему захтева, одмах по отварању Конзуларног одељења Амбасаде, 12.04.2021.
Захваљујемо на разумевању.

WICHTIGE MITTEILUNG
Aufgrund des Auftretens von Coronavirus bei Mitarbeitern, hat die Botschaft der Republik Serbien in Bern, gemäss den vorbeugenden Massnahmen des Bundes beschlossen, die Botschaft im Zeitraum vom 01. – 09.04.2021 zu schliessen.
Alle Termine für konsularische Dienste werden abgesagt, wofür wir uns aufrichtig entschuldigen. Um eine Reisebestätigung oder die Ausstellung eines Leichenpasses zu beantragen, müssen Sie sich an das Generalkonsulat der Republik Serbien in Zürich (www.konzulat.ch) wenden.
Personen, deren Termin abgesagt wurde, erhalten unmittelbar nach der Eröffnung der Konsularabteilung am 12. April 2021 Vorrang bei der Annahme des Antrags.
Danke für Ihr Verständnis.

MESSAGE IMPORTANT
En raison de l'apparition de coronavirus chez les employés, l'Ambassade de la République de la Serbie à Berne a décidé, conformément aux mesures préventives du gouvernement fédéral, de fermer l’Ambassade dans la période du 01 – 09.04.2021.
Tous les rendez-vous pour les services consulaires sont annulés, ce dont nous nous excusons sincèrement. Pour demander une confirmation de voyage ou la délivrance du passeport pour le cadavre, vous devez contacter le consulat général de la République de Serbie à Zurich (www.konzulat.ch).
Les personnes dont l'engagement a été annulé, bénéficieront d'une priorité pour l'acceptation de la demande immédiatement après l'ouverture de la section consulaire le 12 avril 2021.
Merci pour votre compréhension.

President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic made a statement on the occasion of marking the Day of Remembrance of the victims of the NATO aggression.

"Your Holiness, distinguished Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, distinguished Speakers of the National Assemblies of the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Srpska, distinguished Prime Ministers of the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Srpska, distinguished Ministers of both Governments, dear guests and friends, representatives of the Serbian People from Montenegro, North Macedonia, Croatia, thank you for the fact that we are all together tonight and that the Serbian spirit is unbreakable and invincible.

One child a day and a little more than that. That is the most difficult, sickening and painful number of the NATO aggression from 1999. Killed, stopped, guilty of nothing, having committed no sin, without the right to defence, without the right to justice and without the right to life.

No one has ever been held accountable for this crime, a crime greater than a crime. No one, for the 2,500 killed civilians, but also soldiers and policemen who were only guilty of guarding, protecting themselves and their homes. No one has ever been held accountable for more than 6,000 persons injured.

Der Präsident der Republik Serbien, Aleksandar Vučić, hat eine Rede anlässlich des Gedenktages an die Opfer der NATO-Aggression gehalten.

„Ihre Heiligkeit, sehr geehrter Vorsitzender des Staatspräsidiums von Bosnien und Herzegowina, sehr geehrte Präsidenten der Volksversammlungen der Republik Serbien und der Republika Srpska, sehr geehrte Präsidenten der Regierungen der Republik Serbien und der Republika Srpka, sehr geehrte Minister der Regierungen, liebe Gäste und Freunde, Vertreter des serbischen Volkes aus Montenegro, Nordmazedonien, Kroatien, vielen Dank dafür, dass wir auch heute Abend zusammen sind und der serbische Geist unbeugsam und unbesiegbar ist.

Ein Kind täglich und noch mehr. Das ist die schwerste, die peinlichste und schmerzhafteste Zahl der NATO-Aggression im Jahr 1999. Getötete Kinder, ohne eigene Schuld, sie haben keine Sünde begangen, sie hatten kein Recht auf Verteidigung, Gerechtigkeit und Leben. 

Nie hat man jemanden für das Verbrechen, das schlimmste unter allen Verbrechen, zur Verantwortung gezogen. Niemand war für 2500 getötete Zivilisten aber auch Soldaten und Polizisten verantwortlich, die nur daran Schuld hatten, dass sie sich und ihr Zuhause verteidigten. Niemand wurde für mehr als 6000 Verwundete zur Rechenschaft gezogen. 

Le Ministre des Affaires étrangères de la République de Serbie Nikola Selaković s'est entretenu aujourd'hui avec le Groupe des ambassadeurs francophones en Serbie sur la promotion de la coopération entre la Serbie et l'OIF.

Selaković a dit que la Serbie est dévouée aux valeurs de la Francophonie - la promotion de la paix, de la démocratie, des droits de l'homme, de la coopération entre cultures, du dialogue et de la solidarité et qu'il espérait voir la coopération essentiellement améliorée par les propositions concrètes visant la promotion de la langue française et de la culture francophone.

Le chef de la diplomatie serbe a rappelé que la Serbie était le membre associé de l'OIF, en disant que notre pays continue une coopération encore plus dynamique afin de réunir les conditions pour devenir membre à part entière. Le Ministre a invité la Secrétaire générale de l'OIF Mme Louise Mushikiwabo à venir visiter la Serbie et à ce propos il a relevé que cette visite serait très importante pour échanger ensemble sur nombre de questions d'intérêt pour l'OIF et pour la Serbie. De même, le Ministre a annoncé sa participation à la Conférence ministèrielle de l'OIF qui aura lieu avant fin de l'année à Djerba.

Der Botschafter der Republik Serbien in der Schweiz Herr Goran Bradić traf sich mit dem neuen chinesischen Botschafter Herr Shiting Wang. Hauptthemen des Gesprächs waren die bilateralen Beziehungen, die aktuelle wirtschaftliche und epidemiologische Situation sowie die Impfung. Der serbische Diplomat bedankte sich beim chinesischen Amtskollegen für den Beistand Chinas an Serbien während der Pandemie. Beide Botschafter waren sich einig, dass sich echte Freundschaft und Partnerschaft an den Taten in schwierigen Zeiten messen lassen. Darüber hinaus sollten die Impfungen und der Zugang zu lebensrettenden Mitteln primär ein medizinisches- und nicht ein geopolitisches Problem darstellen oder als Gelegenheit zum unloyalen Wettbewerb ausgenützt werden. 

Der Botschafter der Serbischen Republik in der Schweiz Herr Goran Bradić hat sich heute mit dem neuen ungarischen Botschafter Herr József Czukor getroffen. Sie besprachen die bilateralen Beziehungen zwischen Serbien und Ungarn, die derzeitige epidemiologische Situation sowie die Impfung.

Der Präsident der Republik Serbien, Aleksandar Vučić, hat heute der Begehung des Tages des Gedenkens an den Pogrom in Kosovo und Metochien am 17. März 2004 beigewohnt. Er sagte, dass vor genau 17 Jahren ein Pogrom begangen worden ist und dass ein Pogrom schlimmer als alle anderen Verbrechen ist.

„Es mag Zeiten geben, da wir gegen Ungerechtigkeiten machtlos sind, aber wir dürfen nie versäumen, dagegen zu protestieren“, diese Worte vom ehemaligen Nobelpreisträger und Lagerhäftling Elie Wiesel verpflichteten uns dazu, immer gegen ein Verbrechen zu protestieren, ungeachtet dessen, wer und aus welchem Grund es begangen habe, sagte Präsident Vučić und fügte hinzu, dass wir uns an jede Lektion erinnerten, bei der wir verloren und unsere Opfer nicht erwähnt hätten sowie zum Vergessen bereit gewesen seien.

„Serbien ist heute nicht schwach, es ist kein Land der Verlierer, es droht nicht aber vergisst auch nicht, es ist zu Verhandlungen bereit aber nicht dazu, erniedrigt zu sein. Serbien wie alle anderen hat das Recht, sich um sein Volk zu kümmern, um dessen Sicherheit und Wohlergehen. Das Lebensrecht ist ein grundlegendes Menschenrecht und wir werden es immer verteidigen“, sagte Präsident Vučić.

Foto: Dimitrije Gol

La République de Serbie en qualité de membre associé à l'OIF, de concert avec toute la communauté francophone dans le monde entier, célèbre le Mois de la Francophonie. Pour tous les amateurs de la culture serbe et de la langue française, le Ministère de la Culture et de l'Information de la République de Serbie a préparé un vaste programme et L’Ambassade de la République de Serbie à Berne vous invite à découvrir la diversité et la richesse de la culture serbe en français.

Vous pouvez voir le programme ICI

Die Folgen des Wütens albanischer Extremisten in Kosovo am 17. und 18. März 2004 sind erschreckend – etwa 30 Menschen wurden getötet und über 950 Personen verwundet und verletzt (einschließlich etwa 100 Soldaten der internationalen Truppen und Polizisten), 35 orthodoxe Kirchen wurden niedergerissen und 935 serbische Häuser zerstört und ausgebrannt, mehr als 4.000 Serben und andere Nicht-Albaner wurden vertrieben. Sechs Städte und neun Dörfer wurden ethnisch gesäubert. 

Das Schweizer Unternehmen „Albiro AG“ erweitert seine Tätigkeit nach Serbien

Der serbische Botschafter Goran Bradić und der Erste Sekretär der Botschaft, Bojan Stojanović, haben den Schweizer Hersteller von Sicherheitsausrüstung und Kleidern „Albiro AG“ in Summiswald (Kanton Bern) besucht. Sie wurden von den Inhabern und den Managern des über 190 Jahre alten Familienunternehmens in die Geschichte des Unternehmens, das Produktionsprogramm sowie in die Pläne zur Ausweitung der Produktion in Serbien eingeführt. Die „Albiro AG“ kollaboriert seit mehr als zwei Jahren mit der Textilfabrik „Kadinjača“ in Užice. Am 15. Januar dieses Jahres übernahm Albiro AG etwas mehr als 120 Arbeiter dieser Fabrik und gründete die Tochterfirma „Albiro d.o.o“, die Winterjacken für den europäischen Markt produzieren wird. Der Botschafter Herr Bradić informierte den Inhaber des Unternehmens Roland Loosli, den Produktionsleiter Benedikt Schweighart und seine engsten Mitarbeiter über die Möglichkeiten einer Ausweitung des Geschäfts zu anderen potenziellen Partnern in Serbien, sowie über die Möglichkeit, staatliche Subventionen und der Etablierung von Arbeitsplätzen zu erhalten.

La société suisse „Albiro SA“ étend ses activités en Serbie

L’Ambassadeur de la Serbie Monsieur Goran Bradić et le premier secrétaire Monsieur Bojan Stojanović ont visité le fabricant pour l’équipement de protection et armoire „Albiro SA“ en Summiswald dans le canton de Berne. Les propriétaires et gérants de cette entreprise familiale, laquelle existe plus de 190 ans, leur ont fait découvrir l’histoire de l’entreprise, le programme de production ainsi que les plans d’expansion en Serbie. L’entreprise „Albiro SA“ a collaboré pendant plus de deux ans avec l’usine textile „Kadinjača“ (en Užice en Serbie), et depuis le 15 janvier 2021, ils ont repris un peu plus de 120 travailleurs de cette entreprise et ont fondé une filiale, nommé „Albiro d.o.o“. Cette filiale produira des vestes d’hiver pour le marché européen. Monsieur L’Ambassadeur Goran Bradić a discuté avec Roland Loosli, le propriétaire de la société, et le directeur de la production Benedikt Schweighart et ses employés de les plus proches possibilités d’étendre l’entreprise à d’autres partenaires potentiels en Serbie, ansi que de la chance de recevoir des subventions de l'État sur la base d’investissements en capital et la création d’emplois.

The Swiss company „Albiro Group“ expands its business to Serbia

The Serbian Ambassador Mr. Goran Bradić and First Secretary Mr. Bojan Stojanović visited the Swiss manufacturer (in Summiswald, canton of Bern) „Albiro AG“, which produces safety equipments and clothes. The Ambassador and First Secretary were introduced by the owners and managers of the 190-year-old family business, to the history of the company as well as to the production program and the plans to expand production in Serbia. The above-mentioned company has collaborated for more than two years with the textile factory „Kadinjača“ (in Užice, Serbia). Since the 15th january this year, the family owned business took more than 120 workers from „Kadinjača“ enterprise and founded a daughter company named „Albiro d.o.o“. They will produce winter jackets for the European market. Mr. Ambassador Bradić talked with the owner of the company Roland Loosli, with the manager Benedikt Schweighart and their employees about the opportunity to expand the business to other potential partners in Serbia, as well as the chance to receive state subsidies, based on capital investment and job creation.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Nikola Selakovic said today that the fight against all forms of crime was a top priority of the Serbian Government and an integral part of the EU accession process.

"It is also our moral duty, in order to leave a better world for the generations to come", Selakovic said participating via video-link at the 14th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, held in Kyoto.  

The Minister's speech at the 14th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice can be found at the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFcsVSnZorw

Das auflagestärkste deutsche Nachrichtenportal „Bild“ im Interview mit dem serbischen Präsidenten Aleksandar Vučić über die erfolgreiche Impfstrategie, sowie über die EU. Für mehr klicken Sie hier

President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić tells the german news portal “Bild” about the victorious vaccination process in his country. You can view the video by clicking on the link

Das deutsche Nachrichtenportal „Bild“ berichtet am 13. Februar 2021 über den europäischen Impf-Spitzenreiter Serbien. Für mehr klicken Sie hier

The daily german newspaper “Bild” reports on the 13th of February 2021 about the Balkan country Serbia being the european vaccination front runner. You can view the video by clicking on the link

La toute première réunion du Groupe de travail interministériel pour la coopération avec l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, présidé par le Ministre des Affaires étrangères Nikola SELAKOVIĆ, a eu lieu aujourd’hui au Ministère des Affaires étrangères de la République de Serbie.

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic met with Swiss Ambassador to Serbia Urs Schmid to talk about the continuation of bilateral cooperation and the strengthening of economic and trade ties between the two countries.

The Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church elected His Eminence Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana, PhD, as the new Serbian Patriarch, in its convocation in Memorial Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade on 18 February 2021.

AS OF 22.02.2021. MANDATORY PCR TEST AND 10 DAYS QUARANTINE FOR TRAVELERS FROM SERBIA

Bern, 10. February 2021

As of 22.02. 2021. Republic of Serbia is on the list of countries and areas with an increased risk of infection of coronavirus, published by the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG/OFSP), and therefore all travellers that were any time during the 10 days in Serbia prior to their entry into Switzerland are obliged to:

1. announce their arrival at the following website https://swissplf.admin.ch/home

2. present a negative PCR test carried out within 72 hours prior to entry into Switzerland, regardless of the means of transportation;

3. stay in quarantine for a period of 10 days. The person under quarantine may, at the earliest on the 7th day of quarantine, be re-tested and the quarantine can be terminated.

Children under age 12 are not subject to the testing requirement and do not need proof of a negative test result.

For more information click here: https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/de/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov/empfehlungen-fuer-reisende/liste.html

Tourist trips to Switzerland for Serbian citizens are still NOT possible.

Photo: Presidency of Serbia / Dimitrije Goll

President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Army Aleksandar Vucic attended a demonstration of capabilities of one part of Serbian Army units in the "Rastko Nemanjić" barracks in Pancevo. On this occasion, President Vucic stated that Serbia was ready to continue the EU-facilitated dialogue with Pristina at any point, while respecting also the position of the United States as well as the positions of Russia and China.    

From 8 February 2021, persons who are allowed to enter Switzerland from Serbia must announce their arrival at the following website https://swissplf.admin.ch/home, only if they travel by airplane, bus, train or ship. All air travellers flying to Switzerland from Serbia must present a negative PCR test from the above mentioned date.

All travellers coming from a State or area with a high risk of infection (https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/de/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov/empfehlungen-fuer-reisende/quarantaene-einreisende.html#-2060676916) any time during the 10 days prior to their entry into Switzerland are required to announce their arrival to the cantonal authorities at https://swissplf.admin.ch/home. They must present a negative PCR test carried out within 72 hours prior to entry into Switzerland and are required to stay in quarantine for a period of 10 days. The person under quarantine may, at the earliest on the 7th day of quarantine, be re-tested and the quarantine can be terminated.
At the moment, Republic of Serbia is not on the list of State or area with a high risk of infection.

Serbia's foreign policy positions are naturally being adjusted to the new developments at the international level, but our foreign policy priorities have not changed in a long time. Our top and most important interest is to preserve good-neighbourly relations and stability and peace in the region and, in the same context, to find a peaceful and just solution to the problems in Kosovo and Metohija, Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic said in an interview with Politika daily.

As of 20.01.2021, domestic and foreign citizens, coming to Serbia for business reasons, can enter under special, facilitated conditions, with prior notice to the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Serbia. More information, as well as how to apply, can be found here

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic pointed out that Serbia is the first in Europe in terms of economic growth, which will be officially confirmed at the end of March, and that this was possible owing to the reform measures taken since 2014 and the rapid opening of the country after the first wave of corona virus.

3 January 2021

Every Serb in the diaspora is potentially a lobbyist

Our compatriots living abroad are one of the great potentials that the state has not recognized in the right way so far, which is why a different approach is needed to the issue of how to strengthen our diaspora and use the good will of people who are potential lobbyists for the interests of Serbia and the Serbian people, Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic said.

2 January 2021

Minister Selakovic: New ambassadors will be appointed this year, but the goals remain the same

This year, Serbia could finally have Ambassadors and Consuls General appointed to about a third of the currently vacant positions in the country's diplomatic and consular missions in the world, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selakovic is convinced that most of these positions will be filled, as he points out, by the best possible people.

"In the next year, I am convinced that the majority of these vacancies will be filled", Selakovic told Tanjug, emphasizing that the work is being done gradually, because the state wants to show that is has a quality staff who will represent Serbia's interests in the best possible way.

Preservation of peace, taking care of the health and better living standard are key for Serbia in 2021, underlined President of the Republic Aleksandar Vucic, convinced that even though the completion of this ambitious and by no means easy task will be anything but straightforward, best results can be achieved by working in concert with the Government, while ensuring security and a future of certainty for the citizens.

The President said that Serbia has set for itself great and ambitious goals for the next year, notwithstanding the complex international and regional circumstances, and that it will endeavour to fully preserve peace and stability in the region and the country, while safeguarding the vital national and state interests.

"Serbia will remain on the course of a winning policy - the policy of stability", President Vucic said and stressed that our country remains on the European integration path and that it will carefully foster its friendship with Russia and China, while building a friendship with the United States as well.

According to the President, Serbia will continue to pursue a winning policy, with the country itself as a top priority, i.e., a policy that will enable Serbia to continue being one of the top three countries in Europe in terms of growth rate in the next two years.

A precondition for that, the President noted, is to crack down on criminal groups, but also to ensure even bigger investments in the police and army forces.

"Serbia is the country that recorded the highest growth in Europe in 2020", the President pointed out at the annual press conference and added that he expects to conclude a new arrangement with the IMF, as well as that Serbia, by the end of next year or early 2022, will raise its credit rating to an "investment" one, which will put our country's rating on par with the most developed EU countries.

As the greatest success in 2020, Vucic noted that Serbia will end the year with the highest growth rate in Europe, which, as he said, is expected to be from minus 0.75 percent to minus one.

"I am proud to be the President of a country that is the European champion in terms of GDP",  Vucic pointed out and added that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was also pleased with Serbia's success.

According to President Vucic, this result will encourage Serbia to accelerate its European path, while continuing friendships with those who did not turn their backs on Serbia when it was at its darkest hour, namely Russia and China.

The President pointed out that the activities to attract foreign investors will continue, then that work will be done on investments in agriculture, primarily the food industry, new machinery, and digitalization of agriculture.

President Vucic also emphasized that the goal is for salaries in the public sector to average between 560 and 570 euros by the end of the year. Only in Belgrade, the average salary would be around 700 euros. 

President Vucic reminded that the salaries of health care workers will increase by five percent from January 1, while the salaries of others in the public sector will increase by 3.5 percent and an additional 1.5 percent as of April 1, while corporal, private first class and non-commissioned officer army ranks will get an increase of an additional 10 percent. He noted that the minimum wage will be increased by 6.6 percent and so will pensions from January 1, by 5.9 percent, with the plan that the average pension amounts to 270 euros by the end of 2021. The President especially pointed out investments in health care, reminding that two new covid hospitals have been opened and that the renovation and construction of health facilities continues throughout Serbia, while stressing that Serbia is by far the first in the region in terms of hospitalized persons per 100,000 citizens, which is why it has recorded a low mortality rate , and also that Serbia this year has been among the top three countries in the region according to the number of PCR tests performed.

Speaking about tourism, the President said that, next year, efforts will be made on the development of the Danube basin region, from Apatin to Kladovo, that the Ovcar-Kablar Gorge will be developed, as well as our mountain centers.

Discussing the field of culture and information, President Vucic said that the implementation of the media strategy and the completion of the reconstruction of the National Theater in Subotica are important for next year, and he announced investments in museums, especially emphasizing the relocation of the History Museum to the train station building. He also stated that the floor heating in the Church of Saint Sava will be completed next year.

He pointed out that the state will continue to take care of our citizens in Kosovo and Metohija, that no one can forbid Serbia to help its people, and that Serbia will not give up on helping our people.

As he emphasized, Serbia is ready to send medicines and vaccines to the Albanian population as well, and pointed out that in the upcoming period our country will pursue a policy of peace in the region and will endeavour to cooperate with Zagreb, Sarajevo, Podgorica and others.
 

Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Ana Brnabic received today the first vaccine against the coronavirus made by Pfizer company, at the Torlak Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera.

Brnabic, who is the first European Prime Minister to receive the vaccine, pointed out that this day may be the first since 6 March that we have a reason for a smile on our faces as it marks the beginning of the end of the coronavirus pandemic in Serbia, but also in Europe and the world.

As Prime Minister and as someone who leads the COVID-19 Crisis Response Team, I felt obliged to be the first to receive the vaccine, to show that we believe in it, as well as in our institutions - the Medicines and Medical Devices Agency of Serbia and experts who worked round the clock to test the vaccine, she said.

Underlining that it was an honour to do this for her country and be the first to pave the way for all citizens, the Prime Minister said that she agreed with President of the Republic Aleksandar Vucic that the two of them receive different vaccines, so he will most likely receive the next one that arrives, most probably the one produced by China.

At the moment we have the Pfizer-BioNTech consortium vaccine, and the vaccines from the Chinese Sinopharm are expected in the near future, as well as certain quantities of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V.

She expressed her belief that at the end of the first quarter or the beginning of the second quarter of next year we will have the vaccine of the company AstraZeneca, and after that the vaccine manufactured by Moderna.

As we promised, all vaccines licensed in their countries and approved by relevant international agencies will be available to our citizens, and of course they will be tested by all of our agencies and institutes as well, the Prime Minister pointed out.

She said that prior to the vaccination of health care workers, Minister of Health Zlatibor Loncar will also receive a vaccine shot as we endeavour to serve as an example and show how confident we are in the vaccines and institutions.

Brnabic pointed out that Serbia, not counting Great Britain, is the first country in Europe to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and the third to start a mass immunization and campaign for giving the vaccine - after Great Britain and Switzerland.

We achieved something very important and we will not stop even for a moment until the immunization of the population is completed, the Prime Minister said.

She specified that our country will receive another 16,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in January, as well as that together with other vaccines we will have a total of one million doses in January, and a total of approximately two million doses during the first quarter of next year.

There is a dynamic on which Pfizer delivers vaccines and it varies depending on the production, and this is the case with deliveries to both Serbia and all other countries worldwide. We expected to receive 10,000 doses from Pfizer-BioNTech in December, however 4,807 doses arrived, the Prime Minister explained.

Serbia demonstrated that it is able to fight and succeed if we all work as a team, Brnabic said and called on all not to see the beginning of vaccination as the end of the fight already, but to continue to apply all measures instead.

This is to be certain and to be able to help our health care workers, and once the immunity is acquired we will be able to slowly start taking off the masks in 2021, but until then we should not see this as a victory but as the beginning of the end, the Prime Minister concluded.

After the Prime Minister, vaccine shots were also administered to the Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs and a member of the COVID-19 Crisis Response Team Darija Kisic Tepavcevic and to Predrag Kon who is also on the COVID-19 Crisis Response Team.

Furthermore, vaccine shots were also given to Head of the MMA Department for the Prevention and Control of Nosocomial Infections prof. Dr. Vesna Suljagic and academician Predrag Pesko, professor of Belgrade and Heidelberg universities and full member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

The first quantities of the vaccine arrived in Serbia on 22 December, and today they will be administered to patrons of nursing homes in Belgrade and Novi Sad.

Serbia is the first country in the region to receive a shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

In addition to procuring the vaccine among the first countries in the world, even before EU countries, Serbia is one of the rare countries that managed to build and open two covid hospitals in record time. The hospitals with 930 beds in Batajnica and 500 beds in Krusevac are a major contribution to the expansion of capacities and strengthening the health care system in the fight against coronavirus and, as President Vucic said, represent a monument of the future, that will talk about the accomplishments the state made in a short time.

Also, we recall that investments in health infrastructure have been large in Serbia, and since 2016, 80 health centers and clinics have been renovated, and works are underway on six large health centers. This way more than EUR 200 million was invested in the reconstruction, construction and equipping of hospitals and more than 300 million in the renovation of clinics and specialized hospitals, and many have already been completed, such as the University Children's Hospital Tiršova, and KBC Zemun nad KBC "Dragiša Mišović" hospitals.

The absolute priority of the Serbian Government is the successful completion of health infrastructure projects that are underway, but great attention is also paid to health workers,
whose salaries have, by 2020, been increased by 56.8% for specialist doctors, and 66.9% for
nurses, while significant funding is invested in the education of health professionals, as well as in equipment and working conditions.

Like other countries, Serbia has faced great challenges this year, most notably health challenges, and all factors in the state were focused on preventing the spread of the virus and safeguarding the lives and health of citizens. Serbia has faced these challenges better than many wealthier and more developed countries in Europe and the world.

Belgrade,
24 December 2020

COVID 19 TRAVEL ADVISORY, 16.12.2020

In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the government of the Republic of Serbia has adopted the following measures which will take effect on Sunday, 20 December.
Entry into Serbia will be allowed only with a negative PCR test, not older than 48 hours. Citizens of the Republic of Serbia, who do not have a negative PCR test, must be in home isolation for 10 days. They can be tested in Serbia and if their PCR test is negative, they will no longer be required to be in home isolation.

The following categories of citizens are exempted from the afore-mentioned conditions when entering the Republic of Serbia:

1. foreign citizens transiting through the territory of the Republic of Serbia. Transit for foreign citizens shall be limited to the period of up to 12 hours from the time of entry to the territory of the Republic of Serbia;

2. flight crew and cabin crew on aircraft with the Republic of Serbia as end destination, or transiting via international airports in the Republic of Serbia;

3. Accredited members of foreign diplomatic/consular missions and offices of international organization as well as members of their families, holders of special identity cards i.e. ID documents issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the General Secretariat of the Government;

4. children of up to 12 years of age, if the parent, legal guardian or a person from the family household who is accompanying the child has a negative PCR test not older than 48 hours;

5. foreign citizens with a leave to stay or permanently settle in the Republic of Serbia;

6. citizens of neighbouring countries living in small-border areas who are employed in the territory of the Republic of Serbia, to whom the employer issued a document as a proof of work engagement, on the condition of reciprocity.

7. foreign citizens carrying out international transport activities, retrieving or unloading goods, or for the purpose of transport of persons to or through the Republic of Serbia, applicable to the crews of:
- freight motor vehicles in international road traffic. In case of transit, the same shall be limited to the period of up to 12 hours from the time of entry to the territory of the Republic of Serbia;
- cargo ships transporting goods to one of the domestic ports. In case of transit sails along the international waterway in the territory of the Republic of Serbia, the same shall be limited to a period of up to 90 hours for ship compositions and 60 hours for self-propelled vessels from the time of entry into the territory of the Republic of Serbia for upstream navigation, or limited to a period of up to 72 hours for ship compositions and 54 hours for self-propelled vessels from the time of entry into the territory of the Republic of Serbia for downstream navigation;
- shuttle buses and buses carrying out international transport of passengers, both in case of transits and when the Republic of Serbia is both their final and departure destination;
- railway vehicles and train crews;
- humanitarian convoys arranged through diplomatic channels.

Please bear in mind that there are nationwide rules in place restricting movement and limiting activity. It is mandatory to maintain physical distance of at least 1.5m in all public spaces. Protective face masks are mandatory in all public indoor spaces as well as in outdoor spaces where is not possible to maintain distance. You should follow the latest local guidance - check news outlets regularly for up to date information.

Questions and answers on entry and stay in Switzerland please find here https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home/aktuell/aktuell/faq-einreiseverweigerung.html#2140317167 or contact the Embassy of Switzerland in Belgrade https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/serbia/sr/home/vertretungen/botschaft.html

Le régime d'entrée en République de Serbie 16.12.2020

A compter du 20 décembre 2020, tous les citoyens étrangers sont tenus de présenter à l’arrivée en Serbie un test PCR de moins de 48h, quel que soit le pays de provenance. Les citoyens serbes et les étrangers résidents permanents ou temporaires en Serbie ont le choix de présenter un test PCR de moins de 48h ou de se confiner à domicile pendant 10 jours.
Cette mesure ne s’applique pas aux enfants de moins de douze ans, aux étrangers effectuant un transit de moins de 12h en Serbie.
Cette mesure pourrait être levée le 10 janvier, si les conditions épidémiologiques le permettent.

De plus le port du masque est obligatoire dans tous les endroits couverts et dans les transports en commun en Serbie. Si vous vous déplacez en Serbie il est recommandé de maintenir en toutes circonstances les mesures de précaution d’usage et de vous renseigner sur la réglementation en vigueur (sites des mairies, office de tourisme…).

Pour entrée en Suisse depuis la Serbie, nous vous prions de consulter le site de l'Office fédéral de la sante publique https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/fr/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov/empfehlungen-fuer-reisende/quarantaene-einreisende.html

Reiseinformation zum Coronavirus (COVID-19) für die Einreise nach Republik Serbien, 17.12.2020

Ausländische Staatsangehörige müssen ab dem 20.12. bei der Einreise nach Serbien einen negativen COVID-19-PCR-Test, der nicht älter als 48 Stunden ist, vorlegen. Serbische Staatsangehörige haben die Wahl entweder einen negativen COVID-19-PCR-Test bei der Einreise vorzulegen oder sich nach der Einreise direkt in eine 10-tägige Quarantäne zu begeben.

Kinder bis zum vollendeten 12. Lebensjahr benötigen keinen Test. Eine Durchreise durch Serbien ist auf 12 Stunden ab Einreise beschränkt und bedarf keiner Vorlage eines PCR-Tests.

Foreign citizens will not be allowed to enter Serbia without a negative PCR test not older than 48 hours as of 20th December, 2020. This measure is valid for all foreign nationals, regardless of from which country they are entering Serbia. Measure will be valid from December 20th, most likely until January 10, depending on the epidemiological situation.

As for the citizens of Serbia, their right to enter Serbia is guaranteed by the Constitution, however, they will be required to stay in home isolation for 10 days if they do not have a negative PCR test. The quarantine can be interrupted once they provide a negative PCR test.

This measure will be effective as of 20. December until further notice, depending on the epidemiological situation.

President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić received today letters of credence from the newly appointed Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation, Urs Schmid, to whom he wished a warm welcome and a successful diplomatic post in Belgrade.

President Vučić and Ambassador Schmid agreed that political dialogue and economic cooperation between the two countries are on the rise. President Vučić expressed hope that Ambassador Schmid, like his predecessors, would dedicate a significant part of his activities to attracting Swiss investments to the Serbian market, given the favourable investment conditions.

Ambassador Schmid said he came to Serbia with great enthusiasm to work on strengthening comprehensive cooperation, especially in the field of economy, and confirmed that the Swiss Parliament had extended the programme of cooperation with our country.

President Vučić thanked for the help that Switzerland, as a country with one of the best educational systems, provides to Serbia in establishing dual education. In that regard, he expressed satisfaction with the cooperation with Ursula Renold from the Swiss Economic Institute. He also emphasised the importance of Swiss assistance in establishing science and technology parks in Belgrade, Niš and Čačak.

President Vučić thanked Switzerland for its support for Serbia's European path, which Ambassador Schmid expressed on this occasion as well.

The two interlocutors also discussed the situation in the region, as well as the global challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, especially for the economy. President Vučić thanked for the help that Switzerland sent to our country as support in the fight against COVID-19.

Belgrade,
11th December 2020

On the occasion of 10 December, the international Human Rights Day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia reaffirms its commitment to the principles and values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted on this day in 1948.

The principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have been the foundation for the development of international law in this field, and of the international system for the promotion and protection of human rights, as a unique achievement of modern civilization. It is incumbent upon us today to safeguard and strengthen the international system ensuring respect for human rights, to develop human rights standards, control the implementation of commitments, and also to continue cooperating with international and regional institutions on the protection of human rights.

Serbia is fully committed to the universal values of human rights and implementing in practice the international legal instruments relating to human rights. Our continued cooperation with the Human Rights Council mechanisms in the framework of the United Nations, with the Council of Europe and the mechanisms of the OSCE human dimension, represents an important segment of activities carried out by all state authorities, thus demonstrating our consistent commitment to the implementation of international human rights standards.

The international Human Rights Day is an opportunity to point out once again that Serb and other non-Albanian population is being deprived of its rights in Kosovo and Metohija and to call again on the international community to ensure the respect for the guaranteed international human rights norms and contribute to creating conditions for the return of internally displaced persons and giving them back their usurped property.
 

Belgrade, 8th December 2020
The President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić met today the ambassadors of EU Member States accredited to Serbia and the Head of the EU Delegation Sem Fabrizi in the Palace of Serbia, to talk to them about topics such as dynamics of the accession negotiations between Serbia and EU, stability in the region, regional projects, as well as the Economic and Investment Plan presented by the European Commission together with the Enlargement package.
President Vučić once again confirmed that cooperation with the European Union and fully-fledged membership of Serbia remain one of the key foreign policy priorities of our country. He particularly emphasised that in this respect Serbia is honestly dedicated to further and deeper reforms, approaching them with responsibility and seriousness, and that it tries to adopt and apply the best practice through cooperation with institutions of the EU and its member states.

"Serbia will continue being dedicated to the promotion of peace and stability in the region, by improving bilateral relations with neighbours, and by strengthening regional cooperation while respecting all concluded agreements", President Vučić stated, adding that the European future of the Western Balkans is of utmost importance for both stability of the entire region and security and further prosperity of the EU.

Ambassadors pointed out that declarations on the common regional market and the Western Balkans green agenda, which were signed by Serbia and all leaders of the region, received a warm welcome in Brussels and EU Member Stated, and that good and solid connectivity and integration of the region largely facilitates the cooperation of the very Union with the Western Balkans in all areas of joint interest.

"As much as 70% of foreign investments come from the countries whose representatives are sitting here today", Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Sem Fabrizi said, adding that Serbia can rest assured the EU will continue supporting and investing in the Serbian economy. While Covid-19 has put all economies under stress, Serbian economy has resisted and proved its resilience.  With the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, the EU will remain Serbia's strongest partner for economic recovery which will support infrastructures, green and digital transition. We welcome the announced reforms in the areas of rule of law, including judiciary reforms and media freedom. This is precisely the base for acceleration of the accession process and we encourage the new government to keep working and implementing in this direction", Fabrizi said.

President Vučić pointed out that Serbia highly appreciates that the EU, despite numerous challenges it is facing has managed to preserve the enlargement issue on its agenda, especially through the recent adoption of a new, changed methodology of the negotiation process.

"In this respect, we expect from the EU that Serbia's accession negotiation dynamics follows and values our reform efforts", President Vučić said pointing out that Serbia is ready to continue working with its European partners on implementation of the reforms and numerous joint projects.

President Vučić particularly noted that Serbia welcomes the Economic and investment plan presented by the EC together with the Enlargement package, and expressed our country's readiness to continue working with the partners in the region on the implementation of this Plan so as to improve the economic potential of the region and achieve better infrastructure connection, which would bring us closer to the single European market.

"In this context, we hope the Multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 will be adopted soon, because that will mean a possibility to use funds designed for reform implementation in Serbia and in the region", President Vučić said, reiterating that Serbia remains on its European path with an honest faith in cooperation with the European partners.

"2020 has been an extremely difficult year for all, especially the impact of COVID–19. When I look at new Government's commitment to implement reforms, the Economic and Investment Plan of the EU, the new methodology and increased cooperation to fight COVID-19, I see 2021 with a much more favourable perspective for progressing the enlargement", Fabrizi concluded.

President Vučić also pointed out that Serbia is prepared to work intensively with the EU Member States on finding an adequate response to the new challenges, such as COVID-19 pandemic.

The Republic of Serbia is on the list of countries and areas with an increased risk of infection COVID-19, from 14th December, 2020. The list is published by the Federal Office of Public Health (Bundesamt für Gesundheit).

All travelers who stayed in Serbia in the period of 10 days before entering Switzerland, have obligation to stay in 10-day quarantine upon entering Switzerland.

List is valid upon arriving in Switzerland from 14th December, 2020.

List of countries and areas with an increased risk of infection can be found HERE

Following the repose of His Holiness the Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch Irinej, the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation will open a Book of condolences (Seminarstrasse 5, 3006 Bern) from Monday, November 23, 2020 at 14.00hrs to 16.00hrs to Tuesday 24, 2020 at 13.00hrs to 15.00hrs.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation, messages of condolence may also be sent to the e-mail  info@ambasadasrbije.ch at any time, or by post (Seminarstrasse 5, 3006 Bern).

The President of the National Council of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, Ms. Isabelle Moret, paid an official visit to Serbia 7-9 November 2020. On that occasion, she met with President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Aleksandar Vučić, Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Ivica Dačić, Prime Minister Ms. Ana Brnabić and Minister of Finance Mr. Siniša Mali.
The president of the National Council Ms. More pointed out that Switzerland will continue to help Serbia through the financing of projects, for which it currently allocates 20 million EUR a year, pointing out that it visited Niš and Paraćin on that occasion.
The main discussion topics were the situation in the region, especially the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Serbia's European path, as well as the strengthening of parliamentary cooperation between Serbia and Switzerland.

The Mayor of Belgrade prof. Dr. Radojičić paid an official visit to Switzerland to participate in the first Forum of Mayors 2020 in Geneva. On this occasion, he made a visit to Bern and met with Mayor Alec von Graffenried.
       The mayors pointed out the good cooperation and friendly relations between two cities, which were formalized by the signing of the Agreement on Cooperation and Friendship between Belgrade and Bern in 2016. They analyzed the points of this agreement and their realization, as well as the potentials for improving further cooperation between the two cities.
       The topic of conversation was also the development of the concept of a green and smart city, where the experiences of Bern are valuable to Belgrade, especially in the field of infrastructure and environmental protection. A return visit of the delegation of the city of Bern to Belgrade was also agreed.
       On the same day, our delegation led by Mayor Mr. Radojičić visited the „Forsthaus energy center“ in Bern, in order to get acquainted with the waste incineration system, which reduces the emission of harmful gases in the city. The visit to this combined power plant is of great importance for the further development of Belgrade in accordance with the concept of a smart and an ecological city, which implies sustainable production and rational use of electricity.

http://www.beograd.rs/lat/beoinfo/1776820-radojicic-sa-gradonacelnikom-berna-o-razvoju-zelenog-i-pametnog-grada/

Ambassador Goran Bradić and First Secretary Bojan Stojanović visited President of the Swiss National Council Mrs. Isabelle Moret and discussed about the overall bilateral and economic relations between Serbia and Switzerland, with a special emphasis on improving parliamentary cooperation.
The meeting was also attended by Ambassador Mr. Claudio Fischer, Head of the International Relations of the Swiss Parliament.

On the occasion of marking the 30th anniversary of the accession of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the United Nations, was organized a special manifestation and discussion on the topic of perspectives in international cooperation and achieving sustainable goals within the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The discussion was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein Mrs. Katrin Eggenberger, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Mr. Ignazio Cassis, the General Director of LGT-Bank (LGT) Prince Max of Liechtenstein, as well as leaders of companies “Roche” Andre Hoffman, “Ospelt Gruppe” Alexander Ospelt and "Stadler Rail AG" Peter Spuhler.
The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein Mr. Goran Bradić.

Ambassador Bradić met with State Secretary Mario Gattiker, who introduced him to the organization, structure and tasks of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), which operates within the Federal Department of Justice and Police.
On that occasion, they emphasized the excellent cooperation between the Embassy of the Republic of Serbian in Bern and SEM. Ambassador Bradić especially thanked for the support that the Embassy and our citizens received at the time when the borders in Europe were closed due to the pandemic of Coronavirus, but also for financial support for projects implemented in Serbia within the established Migration Partnership between Serbia and Switzerland.

Einreise für schweizerische Staatsangehörige nach Serbien

Schweizerische Staatsangehörige können grundsätzlich ohne Einschränkung in Serbien ein- und durchreisen. Eine Quarantänepflicht besteht nicht. Eine Testpflicht besteht nur für Personen, die nach Serbien einreisen und sich zuvor länger als 12 Stunden in Bulgarien, Kroatien, Nordmazedonien oder Rumänien aufgehalten haben. Diese Personen müssen bei der Einreise nach Serbien einen negativen COVID-19-Test vorlegen, der nicht älter als 48 Stunden ist. Serbische Staatsangehörige, Inhaber serbischer Aufenthaltstitel, Personal im internationalen Güter- und Personenverkehr, Passagiere im internationalen Flughafentransit sowie mitreisende Kinder unter 12 Jahren sind von dieser Regelung ausgenommen.
Eine Durchreise durch Serbien ist auf 12 Stunden ab Einreise beschränkt.
U.a. für schweizerische Staatsangehörige mit serbischem Aufenthaltstitel und für serbische Staatsangehörige, die aus Bosnien und Herzegowina, Kroatien oder Montenegro einreisen, besteht eine Meldepflicht. Diese Reisenden müssen ihre Einreise innerhalb von 24 Stunden online (in serbischer Sprache) mit Angabe der Sozialversicherungs- und Krankenversicherungsnummer registrieren oder bei der örtlich zuständigen COVID-19-Ambulanz melden. Bei Einreise erhalten Reisende ein entsprechendes Informationsblatt. Von dieser Regelung ausgenommen sind Flugzeugbesatzungen, deren finale Destination Serbien ist, und Personal im internationalen Personen- und Güterverkehr nach oder durch Serbien.
Schweizerische Staatsangehörige können mit Ihren gültigen Reisepass oder gültiger Identitätskarte nach Republik Serbien schon reisen.

Traveling to Serbia – COVID 19

There are no entry restrictions or quarantine requirements on arrival to Serbia directly from the Swiss Confederation. Normal rules for entry apply. Citizens of the Swiss Confederation traveling to the Republic of Serbia do not need visas (up to 90 days). Swiss citizens can enter Serbia with valid passport or Swiss ID-card. More information on general entry requirements for Serbia, you can find here http://mfa.gov.rs/en/consular-affairs/entry-serbia/entering-serbia-requirements
Serbian nationals as well as Foreign nationals with temporary and permanent residence entering Serbia from Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina are required to undergo the following COVID-19 health monitoring within 24 hours of crossing the border: Take a self-assessment test (in Serbian language) at https://www.e-zdravlje.gov.rs/landing/ the day you return to Serbia. The result of this test will determine whether you then report to a COVID-19 clinic. If you cannot fill out the online questionnaire, you should contact local Institute of Public Health by phone for instructions.
All travellers entering Serbia from Croatia, North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Romania, excluding Serbian nationals, must arrive with a negative PCR test taken in the 48 hours before arrival.
Please note that these requirements are being reported as only applicable to foreigners arriving from these four countries, and do not apply to (1) those with permanent residence in Serbia; (2) crew members and passengers transiting Serbia for less than 12 hours (including cargo vehicle drivers); (3) children under age 12 accompanied by parents who have valid PCR test results; or (4) properly accredited diplomats and their families. Visit the website of the Government of Serbia for additional information. https://www.srbija.gov.rs/
Normal rules for entry apply for passengers travelling from or via other destinations.
Please note that you should only enter Serbia through recognised border crossings.
You should confirm eligibility to enter Serbia before you travel. If you need further information about entry requirements, contact the nearest Serbian Embassy or Consulate. You should also check with your airline or travel company for the latest information.
Before travelling to the Republic of Serbia, please check here http://www.mfa.gov.rs/en/consular-affairs/entry-serbia/visa-regime whether you need a visa.

Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the Swiss Confederation Mr. Goran Bradić and Attaché Mrs. Natalija Gunjić visited the editorial office of Nau.ch portal, the unique media concept in Switzerland. They discussed the possibilities of further cooperation with COO Simon Klopfenstein, the editor-in-chief Mr. Micha Zbinden and the foreign policy editor Johan Tempelmann.

In the quarterly report on economic trends in the candidate countries and potential candidates for EU membership, the European Commission states that in the first quarter of 2020, Serbia achieved a growth of GDP of 5.0%.
Behind Serbia are Montenegro (2.7), Bosnia and Herzegovina (2.0), Northern Macedonia (0.2) and Albania (-2.5). Serbia had higher GDP growth than Turkey, which achieved 4.5%.
The Commission points out that this year-on-year growth was equally due to an increase in gross investment, public and private spending, as well as a change in inventories. Growth in government spending accelerated, 12% year on year, while growth in gross fixed capital formation was 10.7%. The increase in household consumption remained mostly stable, at 3.2% on an annual basis.
The report also states that the unemployment rate of the population over the age of 15 remained stable at 9.7% in the first quarter of 2020, and that it decreased by 2.4% compared to last year and by approximately half compared to five years ago.

Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Goran Bradić and Mayor of Bern Mr. Alec von Grafenried discussed the possibilities of intensifying cooperation between the capitals of Serbia and Switzerland, based on the Memorandum of Cooperation and Friendship from 2016, primarily in improving environmental protection, urban planning and sustainable development, economic cooperation and tourism, as well as culture, education, sports and other areas.

The text published in "Financial Times" can be found HERE

The text published in "Luzerner Zeitung" can be found HERE

The text published in "Tages Anzeiger" can be found HERE

The text published in "20 minuten" can be found HERE

Masks compulsory on public transport; quarantine for travellers from high-risk regions; lifting of certain entry restrictions from 20 July. click HERE

Maskenpflicht im öffentlichen Verkehr, Quarantäne für Einreisende aus Risikogebieten, Aufhebung gewisser Einreisebeschränkungen ab dem 20. Juli.  LINK

Statement of Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia Mr Goran Bradić regarding the current epidemiological situation in Serbia and the comments of the Federal Office of Public Health of the Swiss Confederation about newly infected with the corona virus in Switzerland, who come from Serbia.

The text published in "20 minutes" can be found HERE

The text published on the "Nau.ch" portal can be found HERE

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Ivica Dačić, sent a letter of appreciation to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Mr. Ignazio Cassis, for the financial support of the Swiss Confederation to the Republic of Serbia (in the amount of EUR 500,000) in order to help with faced the contagious COVID-19 pandemic.

Full text of the letter is as follow:

Science and Technology Park in Niš was opened in the presence of the President of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Mrs. Ana Brnabić and Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development Mr. Mladen Šarčević.
Science Technology Park Niš provides infrastructure and services to help innovative companies achieve business success in the market, especially in the field of high technologies.
The companies that will move to STP Niš will start working in August, with a total of 14,000 square meters at their disposal. STP Niš will including 20 start-up companies, 13 technological development companies and one company related to both - the technological development and startup part.
President Vučić stated that 12.5 million euros are invested in NTP Niš, and that total investments, including establishment of the Startup Center Niš, which will become part of STP and the laboratory lamella of the Electronic Faculty, will exceed 20 million euros.
Switzerland significantly helped the development of science and technology parks in Serbia, and Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia Serbia Mr. Philippe Guex, attended the opening of STP Niš. On that occasion, Ambassador Guex especially emphasized the friendship and solidarity of Serbia and Switzerland and stated that innovations in Serbia have become a strategic priority, not only on paper, but also in practice. He added that Switzerland is contributing to that through the project "Encouraging exports through the development of science and technology parks" with invest of 3.5 million euros. Ambassador Guex stressed that the goal is to further develop a network of science parks that will boost economic growth through innovation, as well as competitiveness and the fight against brain drain.

Foto: https://www.predsednik.rs/lat/pres-centar/vesti/predsednik-vucic-otvorio-naucno-tehnoloski-park-u-nisu

Foto:  https://www.predsednik.rs/lat/pres-centar/vesti/predsednik-vucic-otvorio-naucno-tehnoloski-park-u-nisu

Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Goran Bradić paid an inaugural visit to Mrs. Krystyna Marty, State Secretary a.i. and Political Director a.i. for Foreign Affairs.
On that occasion, they assessed that bilateral political relations between two countries are very good, as well as economic cooperation, wich has a lot of potential for further development. Mrs. Krystyna Marty also expressed satisfaction with the cooperation in international financial institutions, digitalization, in the field of dual education and other areas.
The topic of conversation was also the current situation, caused by the consequences of the pandemic of Covid-19 infectious disease.

At the ceremony on the occasion of the Day of Diplomacy of the Republic of Serbia, the most successful Serbian tennis player Novak Đoković received award for exceptional personal engagement and contribution in promoting the interests of the Republic of Serbia and its people all over the world. This recognition was presented to him by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia H. E. Mr. Ivica Dačić.

The explanation of the award states:

"Idol of the youth, praised not only for sport results but also because of his confirmed personal qualities outside of the sports field. It is difficult to find better example in the recent history of such a young man, whose successes was able to unite people and make them experience happiness and admiration in victories, and, then again, sadness and disappointment in rare defeats. He was able to awaken our dormant spirit and give us strength while inspiring generations. Furthermore, he sent the world a message of a strong sports nation, of talented and good people, who are proud of their history and tradition".

THE TEMPORARY BAN ON ENTRY INTO THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA HAS BEEN ABOLISHED

The Government of the Republic of Serbia passed the Decision on termination of the Decision on closing all border crossings for entry into the Republic of Serbia, as well as the Decision on amendments to the Decision on declaring the disease COVID - 19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 infectious disease.

With the mentioned decisions, which entry into force today, 22 May, 2020, all border crossings of the Republic of Serbia have been opened and from today function in the usual regime for all categories of Serbian and foreign citizens.

Epidemiological measures for all categories of Serbian and foreign citizens have been abolished. Instead of previous measures (home isolation and the obligation to have a negative PCR test), passengers will be given a written notice, during passport control - a health warning about the measures to be followed to prevent the spread infectious diseases of COVID-19.

ln order to safer overcome the social situation due to COVID-19 epidemic, and to facilitate
access to cultural contents to the citizens of Serbia, as well as to users from other countries, the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Serbia offered a large scale of programs of National Cultural lnstitutions available in digital format (virtual tours, digital audio and video materials, photos, texts, 3D scanned objects, etc.) in different languages.

The official Site of the Ministry of Culture of Serbia
http://www.kultura.gov.rs/cyr/
http://www.kultura.gov.rs/en/

SERBIAN FILMS (disponible on-line / feature-length films)

1. Next to me (Pored mene, 2015), Stevan Filipović,
(drama,110 minutes)
http://www.fcs.rs/en/films/film-database/?page=film&id=1314

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpKAFB9QUZc

2. Skinning (Šišanje, 2O1O), Stevan Filipović,
(drama, 98 minutes)
http://www.fcs.rs/en/films/film-database/?page=film&id=169

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsH6IRftCEI

3. Sheitans Warrior (Šejtanov ratnik, 2006), Stevan Filipović,
(fantastic comedy, 94 minutes)
http://www.fcs.rs/en/films/film-database/?page=film&id=152

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgxT0TmisxE

President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic announced yesterday, on Marh 15th, that due to the coronavirus situation, a decision was made to declare a state of emergency throughout the Republic of Serbia.

https://covid19.rs/

President Vučić said at a press conference that the decision was made after meeting of the Covid-19 crisis response team and the crisis team for eliminating the possible and harmful effects of the coronavirus on the economy at the Palace of Serbia, which he chaired.

The state of emergency came into force immediately after the decision is published in the Official Gazette, after which a government session was held to adopt a decree on emergency measures.

Accordingly, the borders of the Republic of Serbia are closed to all foreign nationals, with the exception of diplomats accredited in Serbia and foreigners with a residence permit or permanently resident in Serbia. Citizens of the Republic of Serbia, as well as accredited diplomats and foreign nationals residing in the Republic of Serbia, who enter the Republic of Serbia, are under criminal responsibility for at least 14 days in self-isolation. This measure will be strictly controlled and its violation will be most severely sanctioned. Citizens will be provided with a legally binding solution upon entering the country. Imprisonment for violation of this provision is up to three years in prison. This is very important to reduce the movement of citizens, which is one of the main reasons for introducing a state of emergency in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

For citizens of the Republic of Serbia and foreign nationals residing in the Republic of Serbia who come from the Swiss Confederation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Romania, the Kingdom of Spain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the French Republic, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Greece isolation for 28 days.

These measures do not apply to:

Crews of freight motor vehicles when performing international road transport. In the case of international road traffic burden, the stay is limited to a period of no longer than 12 hours from the moment of entry into the territory of the Republic of Serbia;

Crew of freight ships carrying goods into one of the domestic ports. In the case of transit sailing on the international water road on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, it is limited to a period of no longer than 90 hours for ship's supply and 60 hours for self-propelled vessels from the moment of entering the territory of the Republic of Serbia in the event of water sailing. In the case of downwater, the stay in the waters of the Republic of Serbia is limited to the period not longer than 72 hours for ship's supply and 54 hours for self-guiding vessels from the moment of entry into the territory of the Republic of Serbia;

Driving staff of railway vehicles entering the zone of border stations established by intergovernmental agreements;
Crew and cabin staff of aircraft whose ultimate destination is the Republic of Serbia or in transit through international airports of the Republic of Serbia;

Persons who received the consent to enter the Republic of Serbia from the government's working body, consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior Affairs and the Ministry of Construction, Transport and infrastructure.

The humanitarian convoys contracted by diplomatic way (under compulsory escort).
 

The government of the Republic of Serbia adopted on 14 th March further measures aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in our country.

In order to protect against the introduction of infectious diseases in the territory of Serbia, foreign nationals coming from the Republic of France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Slovenia, the Republic of Austria, the Kingdom of Spain, the Republic of Greece and the Swiss Confederation will be temporarily prohibited entry into the Republic of Serbia.
 

The temporary ban on entry into Serbia remains also for foreign nationals who have resided in  the Hubei Province, People's Republic of China, the city of Daegu, and the North Gyeongsang Province of the Republic of Korea.
The ban on temporary entry into Serbia for foreign nationals who have resided in Italy, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Romania also remains in force.
 

The citizens of the Republic of Serbia who come from the areas recognized as a hotspot of the virus COVID-19 (mentioned areas and states), will be placing in 14 days-isolation in the home conditions (under the health supervision).

These measures do not apply to:

Crews of freight motor vehicles when performing international road transport. In the case of international road traffic burden, the stay is limited to a period of no longer than 12 hours from the moment of entry into the territory of the Republic of Serbia;

Crew of freight ships carrying goods into one of the domestic ports. In the case of transit sailing on the international water road on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, it is limited to a period of no longer than 90 hours for ship's supply and 60 hours for self-propelled vessels from the moment of entering the territory of the Republic of Serbia in the event of water sailing. In the case of downwater, the stay in the waters of the Republic of Serbia is limited to the period not longer than 72 hours for ship's supply and 54 hours for self-guiding vessels from the moment of entry into the territory of the Republic of Serbia;

Driving staff of railway vehicles entering the zone of border stations established by intergovernmental agreements;

Crew and cabin staff of aircraft whose ultimate destination is the Republic of Serbia or in transit through international airports of the Republic of Serbia;

Persons who received the consent to enter the Republic of Serbia from the government's working body, consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior Affairs and the Ministry of Construction, Transport and infrastructure.

The humanitarian convoys contracted by diplomatic way (under compulsory escort).
 

Swiss company “Regent” is a new foreign investor in Svilajnac (Serbia). The total value of the investment is about eight million euros, which will provide 130 employees. The company starts operating in Svilajnac as early as April.
Mayor of Svilajnac Municipality Predrag Milanović has signed a contract with the“Regent” in Basel , which deals with the production of electric lighting. The new foreign investor has rented a facility of more than 1,000 square meters, where he will start production, while at the same time a factory is being built for the company, which will cover about 6,000 square meters in the first phase, and even more in the second. as early as April.
During the visit to the headquarters of Swiss company, the delegation of the Municipality of Svilajnac also met the Serbian nationals who have worked for this company for many years in Basel.

Foto: Novosti.rs

“Barry Callebaut”, the leading producer of high quality chocolate and cocoa products from Switzerland, has laid the foundation stone of a factory in Novi Sad, Serbia. This multinational company will invest EUR 50 million in factory, which will provide 100 employees.
       President of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vučić, who attended the foundation stone laying, pointed out that "Barry Callebaut " is a proof of great success because the best chocolate-making technology in Europe arrives in Serbia. He pointed out that the factory in Novi Sad would be their largest and most beautiful factory in Southeast Europe, and stated that the salaries of engineers and technologists would be at European level, and the salaries of workers far above the Serbian average.
       Stojan Kemera , Managing Director of Southeast Europe in "Barry Callebaut ", recently told that construction of factory in Novi Sad will take about 12 months, which means it should be open in the first quarter of next year. He also announced the “Chocolate Academy” development center, next to the factory, planned for 2,000 square meters.
       Stojan Kemera emphasized that the factory will be export-oriented, but it will also be hub for all local confectioners and artisans. It expects to export EUR 150 million worth of goods annually. Antoine de St-Afrique, Chief Executive Officer of the company, stated that the factory in Novi Sad would be the regional center from which “Barry Callebaut” would supply chocolate to the Southeastern European market.

Foto: N.Karlić - Novosti.rs
 

Bishop of the Diocese of Austria-Switzerland, Italy and Malta Andrej (Ćilerdžić) and the Archpriest-Stavrophor Stanko Marković visited the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Switzerland, on March 2nd 2020. In conversation with Serbian Ambassador Mr. Goran Bradić Bishop Andrej and Father Stanko expressed their desire for the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian diplomatic and consular posts in Switzerland to act uniquely, in the interests of the Serbian people, as well as to preserve identity, culture, language, history, tradition and religion of  Serbian diaspora in this country. It was agreed that the Embassy and the Serbian Orthodox Church  jointly perform, where it is possible, as well as co-ordinated activities to increase the number of students attending religious education classes and the Serbian Supplementary School.

Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Switzerland Mr. Goran Bradić, during his inaugural visit to Intergovernmental Organization for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF), met with the Secretary General Mr. Wolfgang Küpper, on 2nd March, 2020.
Ambassador Bradić informed about the results achieved by Serbia in the field of improving transport infrastructure in the past year, especially in the field of rail transport.
Mr. Küpper emphasised that Serbia is one of the most important and active members of this international organization and expressed his desire to visit Belgrade and meet with representatives of Serbia.

The Association of Serbian Students in Switzerland (USS) celebrated “The glory of St. Photios I of Constantinople”, on Saturday, February 29, at the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary in Zurich.
      Representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Switzerland, Nenad Mihajlovic and Miroslav Simijonovic emphasized the importance of bringing together Serbian intelligentsia and believers in order to preserve the Orthodoxy, Serbian language and culture of our people in the homeland.  President of Association of Serbian Students in Switzerland Mr. Srdjan Stefanovic spoke on behalf of the students.
       Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Switzerland Mr. Goran Bradic and Consul General in Zurich Mr. Zoran Jeremic thanked the priests and students for expressing unity in times when the Serbian people is exposed to difficult challenges. They, also, wished the students also to finish their studies as soon as possible, as well as to reflect on their return and their possible engagement in Serbia, where they came from or where their parents came from.

“The Economist”, British weekly magazine, reports that digital technology is currently the fastest growing Serbian industry. It predicts that lithium production could be on second place, considering that " Serbia is sitting on one of the continent’s largest reserves of lithium, an essential ingredient for the batteries of electric cars.." It is alleged that company “Rio Tinto” has invested $ 200 million in exploring locations near Loznica and, if approved by the company's management, production would start in 2025.
       The Economist states that the technology sector, which employs 45,000 people, accounts for at least 6% of Serbia's GDP, and that the Government of Serbia's investment in digital infrastructure is $ 79 million.
        The British weekly quoted Zoja Kukic from “Digital Serbia Initiative”: “Over the past six years, foreign companies have invested more than $ 500 million in Serbian startup companies".
       “The Economist” points out that last year's IT sector exports reached 1.4 billion euros ($ 1.5 billion), up 55% from 2017.
       Specially point is on the contribution of skilled Diaspora Serbs to the IT sector, who have returned to Serbia, with IT skills, contacts and capital, is pointed out - “The technology sector is one of the few that lures qualified people to return to Serbia. Many people in the industry, including Dragan Tomovic, who runs the Microsoft Development Center in Belgrade, are made up of Serbs from the diaspora ... "
       It’s added that coding is part of the education system in Serbia, which is taught in elementary schools, and that the number of graduates prepared for technology jobs is 5,000 annually. - “Blockchain and gaming development already make a big part of Serbia's digital economy. "Top Eleven," a football game by “Nordеus”, Serbia's best-known tech company, has 219 million registered users. "

       Republican Public Prosecutor of the Republic of Serbia Mrs. Zagorka Dolovac and her deputy Branko Stamenković paid a working visit to Bern. They have meeting with Federal Prosecutor of the Swiss Confederation Mr. Michael Lauber and his deputy Mr. Jacques Rayroud and talked about results of the two countries in combating different types of crime. Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the Swiss Confederation Mr. Goran Bradić also attended the meeting.
       They stressed a common interest in intensifying and enhancing good co-operation between  two countries in order to combat organized crime, international terrorism, money laundering and corruption, cybercrime and other illegal activities even more effectively.

Nach dem Auftreten des neuen Coronavirus (COVID-19) haben die Schweizer Gesundheitsbehörden in den letzten Wochen die notwendigen Maßnahmen ergriffen.
Für die Einreise in die Schweiz gibt es Momentan keine Einschränkungen.
Hier finden Sie alle wichtigen Informationen und Empfehlungen über COVID-19:

Weltgesundheitsorganisation:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Bundesamt für Gesundheit:
https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/fr/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov.html

Die folgenden nationalen kostenlosen Telefonnummern stehen zur Verfügung:
Hotline für öffentliche Informationen:
+41 58 463 00 00 (08:00-18:00 Uhr)
Infoline für Einreisende:
+41 58 464 44 88 (08:00-18:00 Uhr).
 

Suite à l’apparition de nouveau virus COVID-19, les autorités sanitaires suisses ont pris les mesures nécessaires au cours des dernières semaines.
Selon l’appréciation actuelle de la situation, il n’existe pas de restrictions spécifiques pour les voyages à destination de la Suisse.

Pour toutes informations et recommandations utiles sur le COVID-19, les sites de référence à consulter sont les suivants:

Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS):
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Office fédéral de la santé publique (OFSP):

https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/fr/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov.html

Aussi, les lignes nationales d'appel gratuit suivantes sont à disposition de la population (demandes individuelles et/ou institutionnelles).

Hotline d’information à la population:                 +41 58 463 00 00 (08h00-18h00)
Hotline d’information pour les voyageurs :          +41 58 464 44 88 (08h00-18h00).
 

On January 31, 2020, the Ministry of Culture and Information announced the Contest:

- Contest for co-financing translation projects of Serbian literary works abroad in 2020;

- Contest for financing or co-financing projects in the field of cultural activities of Serbs abroad in 2020;

Contest texts and accompanying registration forms are available on the Ministry of Culture and Information website at http://www.kultura.gov.rs. The deadline for applications is March 16, 2020. For more information about the competition, please contact the Ministry of Culture and Information, contact person - Mladen Veskovic, e-mail: mladen.veskovic@kultura.gov.rs or by phone: +381113398026.
 

The Financial Times“ (FT) wrote about Serbia’s successful economic and fiscal reforms in three articles and an interview with Minister of finance of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Siniša Mali, underlining that the country’s GDP has been rising since 2014.
       “After a sharp drop in 2012, FDI into Serbia has flowed back, with improvements in employment and public debt accompanying rise in GDP. Serbia has almost non-stop FDI growth for seven years, bouncing back after inflows plummeted in 2012, according to World Bank data“.          
       In the interview for FT, Minister of Finance Mr. Siniša Mali informed about new investment plan, “Serbia 2025”, according to which, in addition to budgetary funds, an additional € 14 billion will be invested in basic infrastructure.
       The British daily pointed out that greenfield foreign investment to Serbia has grown steadily since 2014, when inflows dropped, to hit unprecedented highs in 2018. Serbia was recently ranked the world’s number one recipient of greenfield foreign investment when taking into account GDP levels, according to a 2019 list from fDi Intelligence.
       FT emphasizes this new stability has drawn investment from the EU, the US and China. With economic revival and reforms underway, foreign investors are stepping up their interest in Serbia. The majority of this, about 70%, still comes from EU countries, especially Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Austria, who have invested heavily in Serbian manufacturing, especially automotive components. American FDI is another prominent player, while Chinese investment has grown significantly in recent years. Human resources are also stressed as one of the country's strengths - Serbia is ranked 27th among the 157 countries by the World Bank's Human Capital Index, the highest in the region.
       In the interview for FT, Minister of Finance Mr. Siniša Mali, also, informed about new investment plan, “Serbia 2025”, according to which, in addition to budgetary funds, an additional € 14 billion will be invested in basic infrastructure.
       Among other things, special emphasis is placed on the development of IT services, software and hardware sectors in Serbia, stressing that this is the fastest-growing economic segment in the country, which exports have grown strongly since 2015. Serbia experienced an unprecedented level of foreign investments in the IT sector in 2019.
      “The financial times” concluded that the development of the technology sector in Serbia could reverse the "brain drain" process present throughout the region.

The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation marked Statehood Day of the Republic of Serbia, “Sretenje”, by organizing a reception for representatives of the diplomatic corps and Swiss institutions, followed by a solemn gathering of the Serbian diaspora.
       The official celebration of the Statehood Day was opened with the national anthems of Serbia and Switzerland, performed by an opera singer from Zurich, Danijela Bjelica, and Andrijana Adamović from the Serbian cultural society "Kikac", accompanied by violinist Tatjana Vucelić from Basel.
      H. E. Ambassador Mr. Goran Bradić welcomed the attendees, with a short historical reminder of the importance of the “Sretenje” for Serbia. He also spoke about the strong ties between Serbia and Switzerland and current bilateral relations between two countries, which are good, stable, dynamic and characterized by high-level and highest-level political dialogue.
       During his address to the Serbian Diaspora, he took the opportunity to invite attendees to enroll their children in the Serbian Supplementary School, as well as in religious education, which would contribute most to the efforts to preserve Serbian language, tradition and culture among the third and fourth generations of Serbs in Switzerland.
      Guests had the opportunity to see the natural beauties of Serbia, as well as its potentials in the field of tourism, agriculture, energy, IT and creative industry, through the video presentations.
       The reception was attended by numerous representatives of the diplomatic corps, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, State Secretariat for Migration, State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation and Swiss companies, as well as representatives of the Serbian diaspora.
       “Japan Tobacco International”, “Emilio Stecher” and “St. Peter's Weine” were the sponsors of a reception at the Embassy.
 

The Ambassador Goran Bradić and the First Secretary, Mr. Bojan Stojanović paid a working visit to the Chamber of Commerce of Switzerland on 10th of February 2020 in Zurich. During this visit, H.E. Mr. Bradić met the Director of Department for Central Europe, Madam Felicitas Gawenat and the representatives of Swiss companies (AMEOS, BrandSign, DUGO, Gluvacevic Sportsmanagement) interested in establishing cooperation with Serbian companies, i.e. expanding their business at the market of the Republic of Serbia. The Ambassador Bradić has informed the present representatives about the current economic and political situation in Serbia, prospective fields of cooperation, investment opportunities and incentive conditions. 

Ambassador Goran Bradić visited the Director General of the World Post Union Mr. Bishar A. Hussein and Deputy Director General Mr. Pascal Clivaz. On that occasion, Mr. Bishar A. Hussein emphasized that Serbia ranks 40th out of 172 countries by standards and level of development on the rank list of Universal Postal Union.

       A festive on the marking of St. Sava called “Svetosavski bal” was organized in the hall of “Grand Csino” in Basel on 25th of January 2020, suported by Art Center “Soko”, musician group “Arno”, cultural societies “Kikac” and “Nikola Tesla”, and the violinist Tatjana Vucelić.
       On this occasion, guests were addressed by Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Goran Bradić.
       The program began with the “Serbian Royal Dance”, and then attendees enjoyed at waltz, a "Serbian Quadrille", traditional Serbian songs and a short academy, organized by the youngest participants.
       Text published in the “Vesti” on 01/28/2020  you can see HERE

Swiss daily “Blick” published an interview with Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Mrs. Ana Brnabić. Prime minister gave an interview during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

https://www.blick.ch/news/ausland/premierministerin-ana-brnabic-macht-serbien-digital-inspiriert-von-der-schweiz-alle-schueler-lernen-programmieren-id15722393.html

Interview in format PDF

President of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vučić and the Prime Minister Mrs. Ana Brnabić, participated at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, held in Davos, 20 - 24 January 2020.
On this occasion, in addition to participating in the activities of the Forum, they held a series of bilateral meetings with highest foreign dignitaries and representatives of the business sector.
 

Serbia's economy could grow faster than the current growth rate of 3-4%, according to the new World Bank report, "Serbia’s New Growth Agenda". The report outline a strategy that can help the Serbia's economy grow faster and increase to 7% in the next decade.
President of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vučić and Prime Minister Mrs. Ana Brnabić met with World Bank Country Director for the Western Balkans, Europe and Central Asia Mrs. Linda Van Gelder, on 17th of December, 2019. On that occasion, Mrs. Linda Van Gelder said the 2014 reforms had produced excellent results for Serbia.
 

Foto: TANJUG

Art association “Urban moments group” is organizing an exhibition "Fluid Solid", which presents paintings, sculptures and oil paintings by Serbian and Swiss artists.
        The opening of the exhibition is on December 6th at 6:00 pm at the “Galerie Alte Krone” in Bill (Obergasse 1, Biel), and it will last until December 21st, 2019.

Serbian Cultural Society “VEZ” from Lausanne celebrated its 5th anniversary with the “Winter Melody Concert” in Renens, on December 14th .
       On this occasion, the guests were addressed by Karine Clerc, President of the Integration Department and a member of the Social and Financial Administration of the Municipality of Renon and Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederaation H.E. Mr. Goran Bradić.
       Several ensembles presented songs, dance and customs from different parts of Serbia, and serbian pop singer Jelena Tomačević performed her most famous songs.

         You can see the page from the "NEWS - Diaspora" HERE

Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Ms. Ana Brnabić participated in Zurich at the annual conference WORLD MINDS. On that occasion she discussed with the former president of the Republic of South Africa and the Nobel prize laureate Mrs. Frederik W. Klerk and geopolitical strategist Mr. George Friedman about the current geopolitical situation.

President of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vučić paid a visit to Switzerland, 07-08. November, 2019. On that occasion, he participated at the “Strategic Dialogue on the Western Balkans – Leaders Meeting” in Geneva. The aim of the dialogue is to enhance and deepen regional and economic cooperation in order to strengthen the stability of the entire region, as well as to prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
       In addition to President A. Vučić and leaders from the region, in this year's gathering also participated: J. Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign and Security Policy, M. Chavousoglu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, E. Udolf-Strobl, Minister for Digitization and Economy of Austria, M. Palmer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of the United States and special Representative for the Western Balkans and S. Chakrabarti, President of the EBRD.
       The participants agreed to continue to enhance regional cooperation with the aim of fostering inclusive growth, increasing competitiveness and innovation, as well as preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Photo: World Economic Forum

Photo: World Economic Forum

Serbia ranked 44th in the World Bank's “Doing Business list” for 2020, advancing by 4 places compared to last year. Serbia has implemented reforms in 3 or more areas of the economy, out of a total of 10, thus significantly improving the ease of doing business.
       Serbia achieved a score of 75.7 points based on grades in the areas of electricity supply, property registration, obtaining loans, protection of minority investors, paying taxes, obtaining building permits, cross-border trade, applying contracts, resolving insolvency issues and starting a business.
       The World Bank data show that Serbia is creating an increasingly favorable business climate and is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for foreign investors.

Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Ms. Ana Brnabić paid a visit to Switzerland, 02-03. September 2019.
       On that occasion, she had a bilateral meeting with the President of the Swiss Confederation Mr. Ueli Maurer, and took part in the Swiss Digital Day event.
       The talks assessed that the bilateral relations between the two countries have been good and particularly intensified in the last few years, especially in the fields of economy, education, science, research and innovation and digitization.
       In addition to the exchange of views on political and economic topics, further steps were taken to maintain dialogue and exchange of ideas between the two countries in areas of priority importance in the work of the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

REPUBLIC OF SERBIA - CANDIDATURE FOR THE UNESCO EXECUTIVE BOARD

At the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern, on June 28 2019, took place the promotion of the book "Tombola" by the Swiss author Thomas Kadelbach. The excerpts from the novel, whose action takes place in Belgrade, was read in Serbian and German language by the author himself and the president of the association "Mileva Marić Einstein", Jelena Mitrović. Their presentation was followed by guitarist Dejan Zorić, performing famous and old Belgrade tunes, thus bringing to the audience the spirit of Belgrade.    Later in the evening, KUD "Dobrosav Radovanovic Kikac", one of our most successful ensembles in Switzerland, which last year celebrated 50 years of existence, presented some of the oldest and rarely performed folk songs from the rich Serbian cultural heritage. Music background made authentic and rare Serbian instruments.   On behalf of the Embassy, the audience was greeted by Consul Predrag Mandić. He emphasized that the performance of these old folk songs, some of which originate from Kosovo and Metohija, has a greater importance due to Vidovdan, national holiday celebrated on June 28th, which has a strong historical significance for the Serbs.

You can see the Embassy's reaction here

       "Children-Youth Church Choir Branko" visited Switzerland from April 30 to May 03. The visit was organized by the Parish of St. Three Jerarhs and the Francophone-Serbian School of Music in Western Switzerland.
       On that occasion, the church choir "Branko" held the "Easter concert" at the Temple de Chailly Cathedral in Lausanne, on May 2, 2019. In one-hour program, the oldest Serbian children-youth church choir which has 40 singers, performed famous compositions in front of the representatives of the City of Lausanne, the Swiss audience and Srbian diaspora. On behalf of the Embassy, the concert was attended by cultural attache Natalija Gunjic.
        On Friday, May 3rd, the children from Serbia were guests of the Embassy. They were welcomed by Ambassador Snežana Jankovic, who emphasized the support to the organizers from Lausanne and professor Nina Sofronski, coordinator of the Francophone-Serbian School of Music, who has traditionally organized visits by Serbian children and joint concerts with the children from Switzerland. After performing several songs at the Embassy, the children visited the Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Cyril and Methodius in Belpe.

See here

This year’s International Drawing and Painting Competition invites children and young artists from all over the world to send their works until July 1st, 2018.

You can find more information about the competition HERE

The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Ivica Dačić opened the exhibition "Jovan Dučić - a Serbian writer and diplomat" at the Palace of Nations in Geneva on March 1st, 2019.
In the presence of the Director General of the United Nations Office in Geneva Mr. Michael Møller, representatives of the City of Geneva, numerous attendees from the diplomatic corps, representatives of international organizations, prominent Swiss and Serbian Diaspora, Minister Dačić pointed to the importance of Jovan Dučić in Serbian and Yugoslav diplomacy and the place that this great writer and diplomat occupies in Serbian literature. He stressed out that Jovan Dučić, in his diplomatic career for over 30 years, served in 9 countries in 13 diplomatic missions and was the first ambassador in the history of Yugoslav diplomacy. Minister Dačić noted that Jovan Dučić left deep traces in Serbian diplomacy and cultural heritage.
This exhibition, organized by The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation and Permanent Mission of the Republic of Serbia to the United Nations in Geneva, marks the beginning of the cycle of manifestations in the Palace of Nations, dedicated to centenary of the founding of the League of Nations.
The exhibition includes documents and photographs of Jovan Dučić, kept in the Archive of Yugoslavia, Archive of Serbia and Library “Jovan Dučić” in Trebinje, as well as the original documents with Dučić's signature from the Archive of the United Nations Office in Geneva.
The exhibition is open until March 15th.

       The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation organized a reception on the occasion of the National Day, February 15, 2019, along with the concert of the famous Serbian violinist Dejan Mlađenović, who performed compositions of Bach and Serbian academician Dejan Despić.
       Before the beginning of the concert, the attendees were welcomed by Ambassador Mrs. Snežana Jankovic who stressed that Serbia and Switzerland have good bilateral relations and that a particularly strong link between the two countries is numerous Serbian diaspora living in Switzerland.
       Among the attendes were the representatives of the Swiss Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, the State Secretariat for Migration, Swiss companies, diplomatic corps and numerous Serbian diaspora.
       The National Day reception was realized with the support of "AIR SERBIA" and the Swiss companies "STADLER" and "EMILIO STEHER AG".

The National Day of the Republic of Serbia was marked for the first time in the capital of Liechtenstein, Vaduz, on February 14, 2019.
      Welcoming the attendees, Ambassador Mrs. Snežana Janković stressed that the diplomatic relations between Serbia and Liechtenstein, founded 15 years ago, are characterized by mutual respect, good cooperation and friendship. She also stressed that there is space for further enhancement of the relations between two countries, especially on the economic, educational and cultural level.
       In the cultural part of the program, Serbian famous violist Dejan Mlađenović performed the works of Bach and Serbian academician Dejan Despić. He also performed the Serbian composition "Što se bore misli moje", which Serbian Prince Mihailo Obrenović dedicated to the princess Maria Josefa von und zu Liechtenstein (1835-1905), whom the Serbian prince met in Vienna.
        The celebration of the National Day in Vaduz was attended by Princess Barbara Karadjordjević, representatives of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein, diplomatic corps, director of the National Museum of Liechtenstein and numerous distinguished businessmen.
       The celebration of the National Day was realized with the support of companies "Treuhand Anstalt CONFIDENTIA" and "THURN und TAXIS".

The study about famous Serbs who lived and studied in Switzerland from 1863 to 1918, was presented at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation. The autor is Mr. Živko Marković, and the study consists of two parts: "Serbs in Switzerland - students 1863-1918" and "Serbs in Switzerland 1914-1918". It was published on the occasion of the centenary of the end of the First World War, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia.
       Welcoming the attendees, Ambassador Snežana Jankovic pointed out that this capital work is a result of the decade-long research and work of Mr. Živko Marković, and that it provides a valuable insight into the connection between Serbia and Switzerland and the cooperation between these two countries in the field of education and culture in the mid-19th century.
       The author spoke about his plans to publish another study of famous Swiss people who played a significant role in relations with Serbia on the eve and during the First World War.
       The promotion was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps and the Serbian diaspora.

The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation  marked the centenary of the end of the First World War by the screening of the documentary "Serbia in the Great War" on 30th November,2018. 
       This documentary is analyzing the role of Serbia in the First World War with the expertise of domestic and foreign historians, the most important moments in the period from 1914 to 1918, and the crucial battles that the Serbian army fought over those years.
        The evening was opened by Ambassador Snežana Janković, who stressed out that Serbia lost one third of its entire population and over 50% of its male population in the Great War. She pointed out that it is the duty of all of us to keep the memory of the heroic deads of our ancestors in the Great War, and to offer our respect to the victims whose patriotism and dedication are still inspiring us.
        The screening was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps and Serbian diaspora.

       The Organization of Serbian Students Abroad held a meeting of the members of this organization who are studying in Switzerland at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation.
       The students were welcomed by Ambassador Snežana Janković, who invited them to participate in the activities of the Embassy, and expressed the hope that they will apply their knowledge, education, talents and skills in their homeland.
       Students, mainly from Berne, Basel and Lausanne, exchanged contacts, experiences and challenges they are facing during their studies in Switzerland.

The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation organized a literary evening with one of Serbian most famous contemporary writers and corresponding member of Serbian Academy of Sciences and ArtsMr. Milovan Danojlic, on November 6th, 2018.
       Through reading his poetry and talking about the works of world famous writers and poets which hetranslated into Serbian (C. Bodler, J. Brodsky, E. Cioran, W. B. Yeats ...), Mr. Milovan Danojlić shared his reflections with the audience about his writing, preservation of identity, culture, tradition and Serbian language in the era of globalism.
       The literary evening was opened by Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia tothe Swiss Confederation Mrs. Snežana Janković and it was visited by numerous representatives of Serbian diaspora.

      The ceremony of the unveiling of the memorial plaque dedicated to Jovan Dučić, a great Serbian writer and diplomat, was held in Geneva, on November 5th, 2018.Jovan Dučić (1874-1943) studied at the University of Geneva from 1899 to 1906 and later on, from 1924 to 1925, he was appointed Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes to the League of Nations in Geneva.
       The memorial plaque, placed at the address where Jovan Dučić lived during his studies in Geneva, is a gift from the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia to the City of Geneva, and it reads: "Here lived during his studies Jovan Dučić(1874-1943 ), prince of Serbian poetry, writer, traveler and diplomat. In commemoration of the giant of Serbian literature, Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, November 2018 ".
       The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation has initiated installing of the memorial plaque, wanting to contribute to the remembrance of this great writer and diplomat and to raise awareness about Dučić's ties to Switzerland.
       The attendees were addressed by a member of the City Council of Geneva, Mr. RémyPagani, who expressed his gratitude for this valuable gift in memory of the famous former inhabitant of Geneva, then the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the Swiss Confederation Mrs. SnežanaJanković, Mr. MilovanDanojlić, one of the greatest Serbian writers of nowadays, and writer and translator Mr. Slobodan Despot.
       After the ceremony, the City of Geneva and the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia organized a cocktail in "PalaisEynard", where photographs of Jovan Dučić from his student time in Geneva, as well as photocopies of his student noteswere exhibited.

Secretary-General of the Office of the President of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Nikola Selaković, during his visit to Switzerland, opened a review of the Serbian folklore of Switzerland, one of the largest and most important cultural manifestations of Serbs in Switzerland, on November 3rd in Dietikon, near Zurich.
Conveying the greetings of President of the Republic of Serbia AleksandarVučić, Mr. Selakovićexpressed his appreciation for everything that the Serbian Folklore Association in Switzerland and the participants of the festival are doing for the preservation of Serbian culture, tradition and identity of Serbia. He also expressed the hope that many will return to the country and with their knowledge and experience contribute to its progress and development.
       Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation Mrs. SnežanaJanković addressed the attendees, and stressed that the support by the Secretary General of the Office of the President of the Republic encourages cultural and artistic associations of Serbs in Switzerland to continue their work, with even greater enthusiasm.
       The visitors were also welcomed by the President of the Serbian Folklore Association in Switzerland, Mr. NenadMilenković, as organizer, host of the event - president of KUD "VukKaradzić" Mr. ŽeljkoStojanović and representative of Serbian Orthodox Church father BranimirPetković.

The choir and orchestra "KnjazMiloš" from Belgrade held a concert of Serbian spiritual,traditional and folk music at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern on September 13th2018. The concert was dedicated to the 100th anniversary since the end of the First World War.
       While opening the concert, realized in cooperation with the Serbian Folklore Association in Switzerland, Ambassador SnežanaJankovićpointed out that Serbia lost one million, i.e. more than a third of its population in the First World War, but that the idea of freedom, justice and equality for all nations were above all other interests for Serbia.
       Mr. Vladimir Božović, advisor at the Government of the Republic of Serbia, also addressed the attendees and reminded of the important role of Serbia in the victory in the First World War.
       The audience was also greeted by the President of the Serbian Folklore Association Mr. NenadMilenkovic, after which the choir and orchestra "Knjaz Milos" performed the most famous titles of Serbian music in one-hour program.
       The concert was attended by the representatives of the Swiss Parliament, the diplomatic corps and the Serbian diaspora.

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch visited the Diocese of Austria-Switzerland, 01-04. September 2018. On that occasion, on 3rd September аt the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia, His Holiness met with Dr. Snezana Jankovic, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Switzerland, who informed the Patriarch on the status of the Serbian community in this country and about activities of the Embassy in preserving national and cultural identity.
His Holiness Irinej was accompanied by His Grace Bishop Andrej of Austria-Switzerland, protopresbyter-staurophor Stanko Markovic, presbyter Filip Milunovic, protodeacon Stevan Rapajic, Mr. Milan Kosresevic and Mr. Vladimir Jelic.

OBAVEŠTENJE
Ambasada Republike Srbije neće raditi
1. avgusta 2018.
zbog praznika

RENSEIGNEMENT
Pendant les fêtes
l’Ambassade de la République de Serbie
sera fermée le 1er août 2018

INFORMATION
Während der Feiertage bleibt die Botschaft am 1. August 2018 geschlossen

Parliamentary group for cooperation with Serbia was established in the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, and officially inaugurated at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern on July 2, 2018.
       On this occasion, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia Snežana Jankovic stressed out that this was a very important moment in the political relations of the two countries, having in mind potentials for cooperation in parliamentary diplomacy. She expressed the belief that the established group will greatly contribute to the intensifying of contacts and strengthening of the cooperation between the members of parlaiments of Serbia and Switzerland.
      The guests at the inauguration were also addressed by the Co-Chairman of the Group Ms. Christa Markwalder, who expressed the Group's willingness to engage in further enhancement of political dialogue and overall cooperation between Serbia and Switzerland.

In Dietikon, on 01st and 02nd June 2018, for the third time in a row, the Summit of Serbian Business Diaspora Community ''EXPO 2018'' took place. The event was organized by Association of Serbian Entrepreneurs of Switzerland, with the support of Serbian Chamber of Commerce. On behalf of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Switzerland, the Ambassador Dr Snežana Jankovic opened the event.
The main goals of the event were gathering and connecting businessmen from the Serbian Diaspora in Switzerland and respective companies from the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Srpska, their presentation as well as their connecting with potential Swiss partners. Also, the event was an opportunity to overview the possibilities for broader and firmer cooperation of the Serbian Diaspora in Switzerland with the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Srpska.

As part of its European tour, the famous Choir of Radio-Television of Serbia held a concert in the Church of St. Cyril and Methodius in Belpe / Bern on June 02, 2018.
       Under the direction of Chief Conductor Maestro Bojan Suđić, the Choir performed works of spiritual music of the most famous composers from Serbia and the world, like Stevan Hristić, Marko Tajčević and Sergei Rahmaninov. Also, representatives of the diplomatic corps, Swiss guests and Serbian diaspora had the opportunity to hear a part of the opus of the greatest composer of Serbia Stevan Mokranjac.
       Before the beginning of the concert, the  Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia Mrs. Snežana Janković addressed the audience, emphasing the importance of the European tour of the Choir of the Radio-Television of Serbia, as one of the most prominent professional choirs in Europe. 

OBAVEŠTENJE
Ambasada Republike Srbije neće raditi
21. maja 2018.
zbog praznika

RENSEIGNEMENT
Pendant les fêtes
l’Ambassade de la République de Serbie
sera fermée le 21 mai 2018

INFORMATION
Während der Feiertage bleibt die Botschaft am 21. Mai 2018
geschlossen

This year’s International Drawing and Painting Competition invites children and young artists from all over the world to send their works until July 1st, 2018.
You can find more information about the competition HERE

    In Dietikon, Switzerland, on 01st and 02nd June 2018, for the third time in a row the Summit of Serbian Business Diaspora Community will be held, where the members of Serbian business community from all around the world will get together. The Summit will be followed by the Business fair, where the companies and business entities from Serbia will attend.

   The organizer of the event is Association of Serbian Entrepreneurs of Switzerland. Look here

OBAVEŠTENJE
Ambasada Republike Srbije neće raditi
10. maja 2018.
zbog praznika

RENSEIGNEMENT
Pendant les fêtes
l’Ambassade de la République de Serbie
sera fermée le 10 mai 2018

INFORMATION
Während der Feiertage bleibt die Botschaft am 10. Mai 2018 geschlossen

 

     Literary evening of six Serbian authors from Switzerland, whose works in translation into German were published by Swiss publisher “Il-Verlag” from Basel, was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia. The authors who presented their works were Miodrag Lukic, Danijela Golijanin, Jasna Milanovic, Mileta Simic, Evelina Kumer and Dana Tovic.
       At the beginning of the evening, the attendees were welcomed by Ambassador Snezana Jankovic. Mr. Fritz Frey, the owner of publishing company “IL-Verlag” talked about the beginning of cooperation with Serbian authors, as well as about the motives for publishing their works in German.
       The authors read parts from their books and talked about cooperation with the Swiss publisher.

Delegation of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia paid visit to Switzerland, 22-24.4.2018., upon the invitation of the Federal Office of  Culture. The topics of the visit were protection of cultural heritage, digitization in culture and fight against illicit traficking of cultural goods.
During the visit, a set of 550 ancient Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman coins, cultural artefacts from Serbia, was returned to Serbian delegation. Deputy director of the Federal Office of Culture Mr. Yves Fischer, handed over the coins to the Assistant Minister in the Serbian Ministry of Culture Ms. Danijela Vanusic. LINK
https://www.bak.admin.ch/bak/fr/home/actualites/nsb-news.msg-id-70518.html

Exhibition of embroidered Cyrillic letters was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia, on March 9, 2018.
       The exhibition, organized by the association "Beo etno vizija" from Belgrade, was followed by a lecture about the history and significance of the Cyrillic alphabet by Janja Todorovic, a philologist and a writer, along with a video presentation by Dusan Todorovic, about ancient Cyrillic monuments and literary works.
       Their visit to Switzerland was organized by the bookstore "STANI" from Baden, in cooperation with the Serbian Cultural Association of Switzerland and the Serbian language School in the Canton Argau.

          At the initiative of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Switzerland, the Ministry of Culture and Information donated books to the University of Basel, where Serbian language is being studied within Slavic studies. Among the donated books are the Dictionary of Serbian Language, the Normative Grammar, the Etymological Dictionary and other publications important for the studies of Serbian language.
On behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Information, the donation of books was handed over to the representatives of the University of Basel by Ambassador Snežana Jankovic. On this occasion, she emphasized the readiness of our side to continue cooperation with the Slavic Seminar, assisting in various ways studying of Serbian language at the University of Basel.
On behalf of the University, the books were received by the Vice-President of the University Prof. Dr. Tomas Grob, who is also the head of the Seminar for Slavic Studies, and Dr. Ljiljana Rajnkovski, Assistant Professor for South Slavic Languages.

    The Embassy of Serbia in Switzerland hosted famous Serbian writer and poet Matija Bećković on March 3, 2018.
       He spoke about the richness and beauty of the Serbian language, and then read parts from his latest book dedicated to Petar Petrović Njegoš.
       M. Beckovic was joined by Aleksandra Ninković Tašić and Aleksandar Gajšek, who talked about the great minds of Serbian and world science like Mihajlo Pupin, Nikola Tesla and Milutin Milanković.
       Their visit to Switzerland was organized by the bookstore "STANI" from Baden, as part of marking the 20th anniversary of its work.

The screening of the documentary film "Kosovo - a Moment in Civilization", directed by Boris Malagurski, was held in Zurich,02.03.2018. The screening was supported by the Embassy of  Republic of Serbia in Bern and the Consulate General in Zurich, while the organizers were Prosvjeta, Association of Serbs and Alliance of Folklore Associations in Switzerland.
       Before the screening, H. E. Ambassador Snezana Jankovic addressed the audience and stressed the importance of showing this film beyond the borders of Serbia, in order to present the beauty and endangerment of Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija, of which the most important monuments are under the protection of UNESCO. She also stressed that it was the task of all of us to draw the attention of the international community and talk about facts regarding our heritage in Kosovo and Metohija.
        The director Boris Malagurski and screenwriter Miloš Ninković welcomed the audience and explained the process of making this film. Boris Malagurski thanked the Office for Kosovo and Metohija and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia for enabling this project to be done.
       "Kosovo - A Moment in Civilization" through the story of the childhood of journalist Stefan Popovic in Kosovo and Metohija shows beauty and history of Serbian cultural monuments in its southern province.

The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Switzerland, in cooperation with the Consulate General in Zurich, organized a reception and a concert of the famous piano duo Ivan Meleš and Margita Drakulović Meleš, on the occasion of the National Day of Serbia, on February 20, 2018.
       The guests were welcomed by Ambassador Snežana Jankovic, who stressed excellent bilateral relations between Serbia and Switzerland, saying that a particularly strong link between out two countries is the numerous Serbian diaspora living here.
        The piano duo Ivan Meleš and Margita Drakulović Meleš performed the composition of famous Serbian composers Vasilije Mokranjac, Konstantin Babić, Isidor Bajić and others.

Während der serbischen Nationalfeiertag bleibt die Botschaft am 15. und 16. Februar 2018 geschlossen.

L’Ambassade sera fermée le 15 et 16 février 2018, à l’occasion de la Fête nationale serbe

President of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vucic, at the invitation of the World Economic Forum, participated at the Annual Meeting of the Forum, held in Davos, 24 - 26.01.2018.
President Vucic, in addition to participation in the activities of the Forum, had a series of bilateral meetings with the highest foreign dignitaries, including the meeting with President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Martina Larkin, Head of Europe and Euroasia and Member of the Executive Committee of World Economic Forum and other officials.
Prime Minister Ms. Ana Brnabić was also a part of the presidential delegation. Prime Minister Brnabic, in addition to participation in the “New liders of Europe” session, had a series of bilateral meetings with foreign dignitaries and representatives of the business sector.

Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development Mladen Šarčević paid a visit to Switzerland, 27-29 November 2017. On that occasion, he attended a celebration on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the work of the Serbian language School, where he addressed the audience.
During his stay in Switzerland, Minister Mladen Šarčević met with Johann Schneider-Ammann, Minister of Economy, Education and Research, Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, Director-General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Manuel Sager and Ursula Renold, Head of Division for Comparative Education System Research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.
The main topic was cooperation in the field of dual education, since the establishment of a successful system of this type of education is of great importance to Serbia.

The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern organized two events with the famous movie director Emir Kusturica on the 31st of October 2017 in Geneva.
The first event was held at the Institute of International and Development Studies, where Emir Kusturica had a lecture „Multiculturalism today“, about the role of different cultures in the ongoing process of globalization.
Among visitors there were representatives of the diplomatic corps, international organizations, the City of Geneva, students and professors from the Institute for International and Development Studies, and members of Serbian diaspora in Switzerland.
The second event was held in the Maison des Arts de Grütli, where Emir Kusturica attended the screening of his film "Super 8 Stories" and talked with the audience about his films.

     The Embassy of Serbia organized an exhibition of photographs about Belgrade, taken by Dinko Denovski.
     With the support of the City of Belgrade, Secretariat for Culture, photographs were created at unusual locations and feature the mystical world of underground passages, tunnels and bunkers.
      The guests were welcomed by H.E. Ambassador Snezana Jankovic, followed by the author Dinko Denovski and anthropologist Miodrag Simovic from the Center for Urban Development of the City of Belgrade.

The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia  organized a visit of one of the most famous Serbian children's poets Ljubivoje Rsumovic.
During his stay in Bern Ljubivoje Rsumovic met with Serbian children who live in Switzerland and with Serbian writers in this country.

The concert of contemporary music, organized by IGNM-Bern (Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik), in a joint performance of the ensemble Studio 6 from Belgrade and ensemble Proton from Bern will be held on 15 June in Bern, Stadtsaal, Kornhausforum, Kornhausplatz 18 .

More information about the concert can be found HERE.

Die Vereinigung Serbischer Unternehmer, in Zusammenarbeit mit der Handelskammer Serbiens und der Serbischen Botschaft in der Schweiz, lädt Sie herzlich ein zu Serbische Wirtschaftsmesse am 2. 3. und 4. Juni 2017, in der Stadthalle Dietikon, Fondlistrasse 15, 8953 Dietikon.

Einladung
Anmeldung Wirtschaftsforum 2017
Wirtschaftsforum Programm 2017
 

    The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern, in cooperation with the Serbian supplementary school, hosted Serbian high school students from Serbia, who traditionally come to visit school students in the Canton of Bern, Municipality Lyss.
    The guests were welcomed by H. E. Ambassador Snezana Jankovic, after which they performed a program presenting their schools and places they come from.
 

    The Embassy of the Republic Serbia in Bern, in cooperation with the bookstore "Stani" from Baden, held a literary evening of Miodrag Lukic, on 27.4.2017. Miodrag Lukic presented his new novel "The Flipside of Paradise". The event was attended by representatives of the Serbian diaspora.
    The guests were welcomed by H.E. Ambassador Snezana Jankovic, followed by reading the excerpts of the book by actress Gordana Randjelovic. Dimitrije Simić, student of High School of Arts in Bern, also participated in the program, by performing Serbian traditional and classical music on accordion.
 

The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern will be closed during holidays, from 01. 5. 2017. until 02.05.2017.

The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern will be closed during Easter holidays, from 14. 4. 2017. until 17.04.2017.

     Belgrade City Administration, Secretariat for Culture, has announced a “Public international two-phase open competition for the design of a conceptual solution for the Zoran Djindjic memorial at the Students square in Belgrade“.
     Below is the text of the competition.
 

Concert of the musical duo "Teofilovići", performers of ancient Serbian and Balkan music, was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern, 13.03.2017.
With this event, the celebration of centenary of the opening of Serbian Embassy in the Swiss Confederation was officially closed.
The concert was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of associations and organizations of Serbs in Switzerland.
 

48th International Meeting of Children of Europe "Joy of Europe" will be held in Belgrade, 02-05.10.2017. The event will be held under the slogan "Every child has wings," according to the lyrics of the song "Wings" famous Serbian poet Miroslav Mikа Antic.

More information

More information

Minister of Culture and Information Mr. Vladan Vukosavljevic paid a visit to Switzerland, 26 – 28. 1. 2017. On that occasion, he attended the concert of Nemanja Radulovic in Geneva, 26.01.2017. Minister Vukosavljevic addressed the audience on the occasion of the centenary of the opening of Serbian Embassy in Switzerland.
The next day, Minister Vukosavljevic met with Swiss Minister responsible for culture Mr. Alain Berset. Ministers Vukosavljevic and Berset, at a meeting in Lausanne, agreed that Switzerland and Serbia have traditionally good bilateral relations and assessed the meeting as very important, given that there is considerable scope for further enhancement  of cooperation between the two countries in the field of culture.
On the same day, 27.1.2017., Minister Vukosavljević met in Bern with Mr. Yves Fischer, Deputy Director of the Federal Office for Culture.
Minister Vukosavljevic invited representatives of the Federal Office of Culture to visit Serbia and expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation between cultural institutions of the two countries, as well as for the exchange of experiences and ideas in all aspects of cultural cooperation.

Prime Minister of Republic of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vucic, at the invitation of the World Economic Forum, participated at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Forum, held in Davos, 17 - 01.20.2016.
Prime Minister Vucic, in addition to participation in the activities of the Forum, had a series of bilateral meetings with the highest foreign dignitaries, including a separate meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, President of the Swiss Confederation Doris Leuthard and other officials, as well as numerous meetings with representatives of the business sector.

The concert of Nemanja Radulovic, a famous Serbian violinist and one of the most famous virtuosos of our time will be held in Geneva, in the concert hall "Batiment des Forces motries (BFM)", on January 26.
The embassy is co-organizer of the concert dedicated to the centenary of the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Serbia and Swiss Confederation.
Tickets for the concert can be obtained in a concert hall "Batiment des Forces motries (BFM)."  http://genevacamerata.com/en/

The Embassy of Serbia organized an exhibition of photographs about Belgrade, taken by Prince Michele of Yougoslavie.
The exhibition was organized in the context of celebration of centenary of the opening of Serbian Embassy in the Swiss Confederation.
The event was attended by Swiss officials, members of Parliament, representatives of the federal institutions, members of the diplomatic corps and the Serbian diaspora in Switzerland.
 

Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Mr. A.Vučić paid a visit to the Swiss Confederation  from 08. to 09. December 2016. On that occasion, PM Vučić participated in the conference "World Minds" in Zurich, a gathering of world leaders in science, art and economics, who exchanged experiences in the field of advanced technology, economy, social relations, science and culture.
Prime Minister A.Vučić opened the meeting, together with the President of the Swiss Confederation Johann Schneider-Ammann. As part of his presentation at the conference "World Minds", PM Vučić talked about the concrete results achieved by the Government of the Republic of Serbia in the field of implementation of economic reforms, the process of Serbia's European integration, education reform and the importance of cooperation between Serbia and Switzerland in the field of dual education.
PM Vučić also had a separate meeting with President Johann Schneider-Ammann, devoted to bilateral relations between Serbia and Switzerland.
 

The Mayor of Belgrade Mr. Siniša Mali, at the invitation of the Mayor of Bern Mr. Alexander Tschäppät, paid an official visit to Bern from 01. to 03. December 2016. The two mayors discussed the possibilities of practical cooperation between two capitals, primarily in the fields of energy, environmental protection, urban planning and culture.
On this occasion, and in celebration of the centenary of the opening of Serbian Embassy in the Swiss Confederation, the Embassy organized a concert of string quartet "Rocher" from Belgrade.
 

INVITATION TO TENDER FOR THE PROVISION OF REAL ESTATE SALES SERVICES – THE SALE OF DIPLOMATIC REAL ESTATE IN NEW YORK (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA), TOKYO (JAPAN), BONN (GERMANY), AND BERNE (SWITZERLAND) 

Embassy of the Republic of Serbia will not work on 11 November 2016.

     On September 27, 2016, in the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern it was held a reception to mark 100 years since the opening of the first Embassy of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation. The reception was organized in honor of the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Maja Gojkovic, who was on an official visit to Switzerland, as well as the President of the National Council of the Federal Assembly of the Swiss Confederation Christa Markwalder. The event was attended by a great number of representatives of Swiss institutions, diplomatic corps and Serbian diaspora in Switzerland.  
     At the beginning of the event, the Ambassador Dr. Snezana Jankovic greeted the guests, wishing them a warm welcome. She expressed her satisfaction with the fact that we are celebrating such an important anniversary as the first centenary of the opening of the Embassy of Serbia in Switzerland, emphasizing the traditional ties and good relations between our two countries.
     Тhe Assistant to the Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Nicolas Brühl said that the bilateral relations between two countries are at the highest level and without open issues. The President of the National Council of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland Christa Markwalder emphasized the importance of parliamentary cooperation for the improvement of overall bilateral cooperation, which she opined was very good, and added that during her visit to Serbia she had the opportunity to learn firsthand of the leadership’s commitment to reform.
     The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Maja Gojkovic said that the anniversary is both a pledge and a duty for the future to continue to develop the friendly bilateral relations firmly grounded in a rich tradition and honest and proven friendship. She said that Serbia and Switzerland’s chairmanship of the OSCE had significantly contributed to the two countries’ relations, as has their intensified political dialogue at the highest level. “This testifies to the importance Serbia gives to Switzerland which our country recognizes as the model of success and good governance, as well as its wish to place cooperation with Switzerland high among its foreign policy priorities”, said Gojkovic. The National Assembly Speaker said that the presence of more than two hundred Swiss companies in Serbia and last year’s visit of the then Vice-President and now President of the Swiss Confederation Johann Schneider-Ammann to Serbia indicates that for Switzerland Serbia too is an important partner with which it wants to have more productive cooperation. Gojkovic also said that there is ample potential to further strengthen overall bilateral as well as parliamentary relations with Switzerland.   

Photo Gallery
 

     On 16. September 2016, a literary evening with Serbian writer Snezana Petrovic took place in the premises of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern. The event was attended by an important number of representatives of the Serbian diaspora in Switzerland. 
     Consul Dr. Aleksandar Djurdjic greeted the guests, pointing out the importance of cultural manifestations for the preservation of Serbian traditions, culture and identity. Besides the author, in the program also participated writers Violeta Aleksic and Milena Maric Zan, flutist Ana Marija Banovic, clarinetist Stojan Krkuleski, as well as the reciter and a vocal soloist from Kragujevac Predrag Obradovic.  
     After the promotion, it was organized a music program and the signature of the book by its author.
 

     On May 27th, 2016 the official ceremony of handover and unveiling of the bust of Dr. Archibald Reiss was held at the University of Lausanne. The bust was a gift to the Institute for Forensic Sciences of Lausanne by the Serbian-Swiss Friendship Association “Dr. Archibald Reiss”. Rector of the University of Lausanne, Mr. Dominique Arlettaz, Chancellor of Canton Vaud, Mr. Vincent Grandjean, Secretary General of the University of Lausanne, Mr. Marc de Perrot, Director of the Institute of Forensic Sciences, Prof. Olivier Ribaux, as well as the Associate Professor of International Public Law of the Academy of Criminal and Police Study of Belgrade, Mrs. Tijana Surlan, The president of the Serbian Cultural Federation of Switzerland and of the Serbian-Swiss Friendship Association “Dr. Archibald Reiss”, Zvonko Jovanovic, President of the Association “Mileva Maric Einstein”, Jelena Mitrovic and others took part at the ceremony. On behalf of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Switzerland H.E. Ambassador Dr. Snezana Jankovic, Counselor Mr. Ivo Vojvodic and Consul Dr. Aleksandar Djurdjic participated in the event.
 

     On May 28, 2016 in the Hotel „Sheraton Zürich“ the company „Eagle Hills“ from the United Arab Emirates presented the project “Belgrade Waterfront”.
     The Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia, Dr. Snezana Jankovic, the General Consul, Mr. Zoran Jeremic, and the Consul, Mr. Aleksandar Djurdjic, took part at the event as the representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern and of the General Consulate of the Republic of Serbia in Zurich.
     The presentation had a commercial character and the hosts took the opportunity to promote the developing potentials and the business environment of the city of Belgrade and of the Republic Serbia.
 

     The Women Volleyball representation of the Republic of Serbia participated this year to the traditional Volleyball tournament „Montreaux Volley Masters“ that took place from May 31 to June 6, in the city of Montreaux, Switzerland. On Tuesday, May 31, 2016, our representation played and won an excellent first match against the Swiss representation. The participation at the tournament represents the first preparation of our national team for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, for which our women representation had already qualified.
     Upon invitation of the Serbian Volleyball Federation, Consul Dr. Aleksandar Djurdjic, from the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern, attended the first match and greeted the Serbian players for their victory and wished them success for the following matches of the tournament, as well as for the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro.  The delegation Chief of the Serbian Volleyball Federation, Mr. Ivana Knezevic, was grateful for the visit and gave a flag with the coach and the players’ signature as a gift. 
 

     On May 26th, 2016 a concert of the artistic duo (piano and violin) „Katarina and Ljubica“ from Belgrade was held in honor of the 140th anniversary of Mileva Maric Einstein’s birthday and the 100th anniversary of the opening of the first Serbian diplomatic representation in Switzerland. The concert was organized in collaboration with the women association „Mileva Maric Einstein“ and the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern. At the concert participated the representants of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, the diplomatic corp and the Serbian diaspora in Switzerland.
     The artists performed their composition dedicated to Mileva Maric Einstein, as well as the work of Robert Schumann „Schlummerlied“ which was particularly appreciated.
 

     On May 29, 2016 the manifestation “Day of Slavic Writing and Culture” was held in the church of Holy Mother Assumption in the municipality of the Orthodox Serbian Church in Zurich. The ceremony was held for the first time in collaboration with the Serbian, Russian and Bulgarian Orthodox Churches in Zurich.
     At the beginning of the event, the Ambassador S. Jankovic greeted the participants pointing out the mutual origin of the writing and languages of the Slavic nations, as well as the importance of the event for the preservation of our traditions, culture and identity.
    At the ceremony participated the representatives of the Embassies of Russia, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Belarus as well.
    In the cultural artistic program after the official ceremony the artists from Serbia, as well as Russian and Bulgarian artistic association from Switzerland took part.
 

     From 19 to 13 May 2016 the Women Association “Mileva Marić Einstein”, has organized a visit to Switzerland for the scholars and teachers of the mathematical High School, School for Chemistry, Primary school “Jovan Sterija Popovic” of Belgrade and Primary School Negoslavci of Vukovar.
     The first day of the visit the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern has received the members of the delegation. The program of the cultural travel to Switzerland consisted also in the visit of Mileva Maric Einstein’s home, educational and creative workshop “Important women of Swiss and Serbian science, arts, culture and charity of the first half the 20th century”, the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belp, as well as Vreneli Museum near Bern.
     The visit of the delegation from Belgrade and Vukovar was organized as a part of the 140th anniversary of Mileva Maric Einstein’s birthday, as well as the 100th anniversary of the opening of the first diplomatic Serbian representation in Switzerland.
 

     On May 10th 2016 a piano concert of the Serbian artist, Nikola Pešić, was held in the Music House Krompholz, in Berne, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Switzerland.   
     Nikola Pešić is a graduated student of the University of the Arts in Niš (Music Department – Piano) and is currently a postgraduate at the Berne University of the Arts. He has received several preizes, in Serbia and abroad as well. He has collaborated with numerous artists from Serbia, Switzerland, Scotland, Russia and Poland.
     In front of around 30 attendees, among which were members of the diplomatic corps, of the Serbian diaspora and of educational - cultural circles of Switzerland, he performed the works of compositors Leoš Janáček from Czech Republic,  Karol Szymanowski from Poland and György Kurtág from Hungary. 
 

     The Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in Switzerland, Dr. Snezana Jankovic, paid a courtesy visit to Canton Aargau on February 22, 2016 during which, she had a meeting with Mrs. Susanne Hochuli, Landammann of the Cantonal Government Council  in 2016 and Chief of the Cantonal department of health and social affairs. During the visit, it has been discussed about the possibility of collaboration between Serbia and Canton Aargau.

     On 19 February 2016, the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern and the General Consulate of the Republic of Serbia in Zurich have organized a reception for representatives of the Serbian Diaspora in Switzerland in order to celebrate the National Day of the Republic of Serbia. Besides the Ambassador Dr. Snezana Jankovic, the General Consul, Mr. Zoran Jeremic, and the employees of the Embassy, also the Austrian-Swiss bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Mr. Andrej Cilerdzic, as well as great number of representatives of Serbian associations and organizations in Switzerland have attended the event. 

     The Mayor of the City of Berne, Mr. Alexander Tschappat, has paid an official visit to the City of Belgrade from 11-14 February 2016 upon invitation of its Mayor Mr. Sinisa Mali.On this occasion the two Mayors have discussed on possible collaboration between the two capitals on different fields in order to improve the city life’s development.During the visit, the two Mayors have signed the Agreement on collaboration and friendship between the City of Belgrade and the City of Bern.
     The Mayor of the City of Bern, Mr. Alexander Tchappat, has been also received by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Aleksandar Vucic.

Während der serbischen Nationalfeiertag bleibt die Botschaft am 15. und 16. Februar 2016 geschlossen.

L’Ambassade sera fermée le 15 et 16 février 2016, à l’occasion de la Fête nationale serbe.

     On 29 January 2016 in the hall of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia it was held the promotion of the new book “Dan kad se BRE vratilo kuci” written by Violeta Aleksic. The event was attended by an important number of the Serbian Diaspora in Switzerland.
     The Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia, Dr. Snezana Jankovic, greeted the public and expressed the hope that the new book will receive the same deserving attention as the previous works. Besides the author, also the head of the bookshop “Stani”, Koviljka Stanulov Ninkovic, and the writers Miodrag Lukic and Snezana Petrovic spoke about the new book.
     After the promotion, it was organized a music program and the signature of the book by its author.
 

     The Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic attended the annual World Economic Forum in Davos from 20-22 January 2016, invited by his organizer and president Klaus Schwab.
     The PM Aleksandar Vucic had an important role first of all as a speaker of one of the most visited panel “From migration to integration” during which together with German Vice Chancellor Sigmund Gabriel, the Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, the Director of the American company “Chobani” Hamdi Ulukaya, he spoke about the Serbian relation towards the refugees, the challenges with which Serbia is confronted and the need of an unique European resolution as an answer. The other speakers have congratulated to the PM A. Vucic for the Serbian relations towards the refugees and for the real exposure of the problem.
     During the Forum, the PM A.Vucic had several bilateral meetings with the representatives of foreign countries, as well with the representatives of foreign companies and of economical sectors. He also gave interviews to Reuters, Bloomberg and the Swiss newspaper Blick
 

Bilateral political consultations between the Ministry of foreign affairs of the Republic of Serbia and the Federal Department of the Swiss Confederation have been held on December, 18th 2015.  The two delegations were headed by State Secretary of the Ministry of foreign affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Ambassador Roksanda Nincic, and the State Secretary of the Swiss Federal Department for Foreign Affairs, Yves Rossier.
     Both parts have analyzed the wide spectre of political questions, among which the bilateral relations between Serbia and Switzerland, regional themes about the Western Balkans, with special concern on relations between Serbia and its neighboring countries. During the political consultations it has been discussed also about Europe with an important focus on the refugee crisis and its resolution.
     During the meeting, they have been emphasized the good relations between Switzerland and Serbia, as well as the high and dynamic level of political dialogue during the OSCE chairmanship of both countries during 2014-2015. They have also been discussed the economic relations between Serbia and Switzerland, proving that there are good conditions of improvement.
     Both sides have agreed that the next consultations will be held in 2016 in Belgrade.
 

On 16 June 2015 in Zurich it was held the 7th session of the Joint committee for an economic collaboration between Serbia and Switzerland. The Session was held in a positive environment, where the two sides expressed their appreciation about the traditional good relations between Serbia and Switzerland, with more than 180 Swiss companies that are investing in Serbia. Both sides confirmed that the business environment in Serbia is promising and the process of the European integration adds security in business. The Swiss side stated that the basic references give Serbia an important advantage as the choice for economic investments, such as strategic position in the region as well as experienced and skilled labor force.

On 16 June 2015 in Zürich with the organization of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern and the Chamber of Commerce Switzerland – Central Europe it was held the business Forum “Serbia on the road to a modern economy“, attended by the Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and the Minister of Finance Dusan Vujovic. During the event, PM A.Vucic discussed the structure of reforms and the positive changes in the business sector in Serbia, meanwhile the Minister Vujovic informed about the macroeconomic stability and measures that Serbia intent to apply in order to consolidate and recover the economy. PM A. Vucic also invited Swiss companies to invest in Serbia. On the other hand, the Swiss-Serbian chamber of commerce based in Belgrade, which celebrated 1 year from its establishment, presented its work, results, plans, and stated that a growing number of companies have the desire to collaborate with Serbian partners and to become member of the chamber.

     On December 15th, 2015, in the Embassy was held the New Year’s concert performed by the Duo „Seraroma“, with Rade Mijatovic on the аccordion and Daniel Emanuel Andreiscu on the clarinet. The Duo was formed in Bern with the idea of spreading the music of the countries they are originally from (Serbia and Romania). They performed in almost every auditorium in the Canton of Bern with notable concerts also in Zurich, Basel, Lucerne and in other cities in Switzerland.
     Duo ''Seraroma'' played music from Serbia, Balkans and Eastern Europe in front of 60 attendees from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, diplomatic corps  and the Serbian diaspora.
     At the beginning of the concert the Ambassador Dr. S. Jankovic thanked the participants for their support and cooperation during this year and wished them happiness and success in 2016, with the hope to continue the fruitful cooperation in the future.
 

Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in Switzerland, Dr Snezana Jankovic, paid a visit оn November 02, 2015, to the Canton of Schaffhausen. On that occasion, Ambassador S.Jankovic had a meeting with the President of  the Cantonal Government and the State Councillor of the Department for Economic Affairs of Schaffhausen, Mr. Ernst Landolt. With Mr. E.Landolt it has been discussed аbout the possibilities of establishing the economic cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and Canton of  Schaffhusen. During the meeting it has been agreed to establish a concrete mechanism as an aim to connect the economic subjects of the two sides.

     On the September 25th, 2015 during the manifestation “Serbian cultural days in Switzerland”  in the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia, it has been unveiled the bust of Dr. A. Reiss, which was created by the academic sculptor Ljubisa Mancic and conserved by the Serbian-Swiss friendship association “Dr. Archibald Reiss”.
     Zvonko Jovanovic, creator and coordinator of the project “Serbian cultural days in Switzerland”, has been elected as the first president of the Serbian-Swiss friendship association “Dr. Archibald Reiss”, Philippe Piccapietra as the honorary president, Grand Chancellor of the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, and Olivier Ribaux, director of the faculty of forensic science of Lausanne as the honorary vice-president. At the end of the ceremony, the coordinator Zvonko Jovanovic has unveiled Archibald Reiss’ bust, which has been given in custody of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia until it will be set at the University of Lausanne.
     Ambassador dr. Ljiljana Niksic, chief of the department for migration policy and Diaspora at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, has attended the event and has lectured about the theme “cultural memories of the Great war and the humanitarian missions from abroad” with special focus on the work and the contribution of Dr. Archibald Reiss in spreading the truth about the Serbian victims during WWI.
 

     Wegen der stiegenden Anzahl der Flüchtlinge hat die Serbische Regierung der Arbeitsgruppe für die Lösung des Problems „Gemischte Migrationsflüsse“, die für die Reinigung, die Analisyse der Fragen der Flüchtlingen in unserem Land zuständig ist, Anweisungen gegeben.
Der Minister für die Arbeit, die Beschäftigung, die Aufenhalt und die Gesellschaftliche Fragen führt den Vorsitz über die Arbeitsgruppe .
     Gleichzeitig ist die Regierung der Republik Serbien gerade dabei, eine Prozedur für die Eröffnung spezieller Konto für Spenden und Humanitäre Hilfe (in verschieden Währungen, inkl. Dinare) einzführen.
Alle notwendige Informationen über die Zusendung der Humanitäre Hilfe befinden sich auf der Web Seite des Zollamtes der Republik Serbien: www.upravacarina.rs .
Bzw. Humanitäre Hilfe, gesetzliche Vorschriften und weitere Frage über die Zusendung der Humanitarische Hilfe aus dem Ausland in die Republik Serbien.

     Für weitere Informationen über die Abfertigung der Humanitäre Hilfe,  die notwendige Dokumentation, sowie die benötigte Ware, können Sie direkt Kontakt mit der Serbischen „Rotes Kreuz „ aufnehmen: indep@redcross.org.rs .

     Тhe Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Switzerland, dr Snezana Jankovic, together with General Consul of the Republic of Serbia in Zurich, Mr. Zoran Jeremic, Serbian Railways delegation, led by Executive Director Mr. Nenad Kecman, as well as the delegation of the Swiss company Stadler Rail, оn 6 August 2015, attended the ceremony of dispatch of the two electromagnetic passenger trains, to the Republic of Serbia. It is the contingent of the last two trains, out of 21, who are successively shipped to Serbia, based on the contract, which the two companies signed in 2013 and whose delivery started in the fall of 2014.
     During the ceremony, the two sides expressed satisfaction with the cooperation, noting that it significantly contributed to the modernization of the rail transport in Serbia, as well as to its infrastructure. Also an expectation has been expressed that the cooperation will continue in the future.
 

     The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia, in cooperation and with support of the Secretariat for culture of City of Belgrade, organized concert of piano duo - Mr. Ivan Meles and Mrs. Margita Drakulovic-Meles. The concert took place on April, 29 2015, in the baroque-style Villa Metllen in Muri bei Bern and it is one of the events that are going to mark this year's Serbian Chairmanship of OSCE.

     Ambassador dr Snezana Jankovic payed a courtesy visit to Mr. Alexander Tschäppätt, Mayor of Bern since 2005. Two interlocutors focused on the perspectives of reinforcing mutual cooperation between two capitals (Belgrade and Bern), especially in the transfer of know-how of managing a complex communal system.

     In the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia, on April 17th, 2015, Ambassador dr Snezana Jankovic, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Serbia, has awarded professor dr Afksendyios Kalangos, Head of Cardio-surgery Department at the University Clinic of Geneva, with the Candelmas (Sretenje) decoration of second degree, for his merits in the extraordinary humanitarian work in the Republic of Serbia.
     In honour of professor Kalangos, young Serbian cellist Pavle Savic performed a short concert after Ambassador Jankovic and professor Kalangos gave addressed the audience.
     Representatives of the diplomatic corps, Serbian and Greek diaspora, as well as  professor's colleagues were among the invitees.

     On March 21, 2015, the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern organized a small reception for the students coming from schools in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Sremski Karlovic in Serbia and Negoslavci from Croatia, and for their hosts from the school in Lyss in Cantone Bern. The exchange has been realized at the iniative of the Serbian language school in Switzerland and prof. Jelena Mitrovic and her collegues. The students from Lyss will travel to a return visit to Serbia in May. 

     The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern organized a concert on 17 March 2015, with Milos Mijatovic, Professor of clarinet at the Faculty of Arts in Nis, and Stephan Siegenthaler, Professor of clarinet at the University of Bern sharing the bill. The concert was held in honour of Professor Siegenthaler who donated six clarinets from his private collection to the students of the University of Nis.

     The Embassy of Serbia in Bern organized on March 12, 2015 in its premises a gathering of the representatives of Serbian societies in Switzerland. The Embassy initiated the meeting, with the aim to organize it every year as an occasion to hear about the problems of Serbian diaspora, as well as about its plans and ideas for further enhancement of its cooperation with their homeland.  

     In the premises of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern, on February 2015, the copy of the famous Blue Portait of Nikola Tesla, world renowned scientist of Serbian origin, has been exhibited. In the cooperation with the Tesla Society Schweitz, the portrait was displayed at the Embassy. Representatives of the Embassy, The Society and the Museum Nordsee in Germany, where the portrait was discovered, explained about Tesla's achievements and about the famous painting.   

     Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vucic participated, upon the invitation of the organizers, at the 45th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, held in Davos, on January 21st and 22nd 2015.
     On this occasion, Prime Minister Vucic has had numerous meetings with foreign dignitaries, among them with the Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China Mr. Li Keqiang, Prime Minister of Turkey Mr. Ahmet Davutoglu, Vice President and Minister of Economy, Education and Research of Swiss Confederation Mr. Johann Schneider Ammann, Vice President of the European Commission Mr. Frans Timmermans, Secretary General of the OSCE Mr. Lamberto Zannier and many others. Prime Minister Vucic has also had numerous discussions with the representatives of the renown companies like Google, Sberbank and others
 

      On November 30, 2014, in Bern was marked the one hundred years of the outbreak of the First World War. The event was held under the title "One hundred years after", and organized by the teaching staff of the Serbian complementary school in Switzerland. The patron of the event was the President of the Republic of Serbia H.E. Mr. Tomislav Nikolic, and support of the organization was provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Bern. In her capacity as special envoy of the President of the Republic of Serbia, in Bern on this occasion arrived Counselor of the President, Dr. Jasmina Mitrovic Maric.
      In honor of Dr. J. Mitrović Maric, the Embassy organized cocktail party which was attended by the organizers of the event with their guests, as well as some representatives of the Serbian diaspora in Switzerland.
      The main event took place in elementary school "Schwabgut" in Bern. Dr. Mitrovic Maric gave an inspired speech, which left a remarkable impression on all present guests. The school hall was packed, recitals, songs and music performed by children from several cities in Switzerland, Belgrade, Vukovar and Hamburg, evoked memories of the heavy losses and agony that Serbia suffered during the Great War.
 

On November 11, 2014, Dr. Snezana Jankovic presented to H. E. Mr. Didier Burkhalter, President of the Swiss Confederation, the Letters of Credence, by which H. E. Mr. Tomislav Nikolic, President of the Republic of Serbia, appoints her Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Swiss Confederation.
In the conversation following the presentation of the Letters of Credence, they both expressed satisfaction over the progress made in the development of the bilateral relations between Serbia and Switzerland, and discussed ways for their further improvement in all spheres of mutual interest.
 

At its meeting of 30 October 2014, the Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Decision on visa free entry to the Republic of Serbia for holders of foreign passports having a valid Schengen, UK and other Member States' visa, or visa of the United States of America, and for holders of foreign passports having residence permit in the countries of the Schengen area, EU or the United States of America, which was published in the "Official Gazette of RS", No. 119 of 31 October 2014 and which will enter into force on 8 November 2014.

By this decision, the above-mentioned categories of foreign nationals may, without prior visa application, enter, transit or stay in the Republic of Serbia up to 90 days during a six-month period, but not exceeding the expiring date of the said visas or residence permits.

Foreign nationals, holders of a residence permit in the form of a separate card (not a sticker affixed to their passport), must present their valid passport, upon entering the territory of the Republic of Serbia.

Folklore Ensemble "Karadjordje" celebrated its 20th anniversary on November 1, 2014 in the Theatre National Bern by organizing a concert under the title "We leave traces". Numerous dances and songs from various parts of Serbia were presented, while Folklore Ensemble "Karadzic" from Schoenenwerd and "Era" from Uzice also took part in concert as guests.

Dr. Snezana Jankovic, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in the Swiss Confederation, and dr Aleksandar Djurdjic, Consul, also attended the concert. In her address to the audience, Ambassador Jankovic stressed the importance of the activities of Folklore Ensemble "Karadjordje" for preserving Serbian national identity, tradition and culture. She expressed her gratitude to the members of this Folklore Ensemble for their effort, enthusiasm and love for their country, demonstrated by nurturing Serbian cultural heritage out of the borders of their home country.

On October 12, 2014 the Twinning Charter between the Junior Chambers International of Serbia and Switzerland, as well as between Junior Chambers International of Belgrade and Bern have been signed in Fribourg.

The Twinning Charters were signed by the National Presidents of Serbia JCI Mr. Nikola Cvetkovic and Switzerland JCI Mr. Sebastian Begert, as well as by Local Presidents of Belgrade JCI Mr. Misa Lazovic and Bern JCI Mr. Gerhard Wittwer.

Ambassador of Serbia in Switzerland Dr. Snezana Jankovic participated in this event, organized on the occasion of the National Convention of JCI Switzerland.

Bern, 14-19. September 2014 - In the frame of the UNDP - Belgrade's project "Oversight function and transparency of the Parliament", in cooperation with Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), delegation of Serbian MPs and Serbian State Auditor met their counterparts in the Swiss parliament and the high officials from the federal and cantonal administration, including SDC, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swiss Federal Audit Office and Office of the Attorney General. This study visit was aimed at gaining an insight into Swiss best practices in the field of communicatiion with citizens and financial oversight.

The delegation met Dr Snezana Jankovic, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia, and the representatives of Serbian diaspora in Switzerland at the reception in the Embassy in Bern on September 18, 2014.

The political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland were held in Belgrade. Тhe views were exchanged on current bilateral issues, progress of the Republic of Serbia in the European integration processes, joint consecutive Chairmanship-in-Office of the OSCE, regional cooperation and on other international issues. The delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia was headed by Mrs. Vera Mavric, State Secretary, and the delegation of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland was headed by Mr. Yves Rossier, State Secretary.

President of the Republic of Serbia Tomislav Nikolic has recently awarded Mr. Franz Weber, Swiss ecologist, novelist and journalist, for his contribution to the public and cultural sphere.

Mr. Weber has received his Silver Medal for Merits from S.E. Milan St. Protic, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Swiss Confederation, at the cermony held in the Embassy in Bern on Monday, July 29, in the presence of his collaborators, guests from the Swiss Foreign Ministry and distinguished guests form Serbian Diaspora.