BELGRADE — Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan expressed Saudi Arabia's thanks and appreciation for the support of Serbia for the Kingdom's candidacy to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh. Prince Faisal made his remarks during a press conference on Wednesday with Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selaković in Belgrade. He said: "The meeting with the Serbian counterpart confirms the Kingdom's sincere desire to deepen relations with Serbia as relations are witnessing a positive acceleration in view of their recent inception." Prince Faisal also stressed the Kingdom's support for all regional and international efforts aimed at peacefully settling the Russian-Ukrainian crisis in a way that enhances international peace and security and mitigates the economic consequences of the crisis and global energy supplies. The Saudi minister praised the remarkable increase in the rates of trade exchange between the Kingdom and Serbia for 2021, which amounted to 88 percent compared to 2020. He also discussed with his counterpart opportunities to increase investments in all sectors. For his part, Serbian Minister Selaković expressed his happiness with this historic symbolic visit, which comes as the first official bilateral visit of the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs since the relations between the two countries began 10 years ago. He explained that his country seeks to strengthen and consolidate its relationship with the Kingdom, especially since the Kingdom recorded during the past few years a remarkable prosperity as a result of the development plans of the vision of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Selaković described the experience as unique, especially since the Kingdom today is an active member of the G20. The Serbian minister said that he met with Prince Faisal several times this year and in separate occasions, which reflects the dynamic and strength of relations between the Kingdom and Serbia. He noted that he discussed with him ways to support the peaceful efforts to end the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. Earlier, the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić received Prince Faisal Bin Farhan. Prince Faisal conveyed the greetings of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to the President of Serbia and their wishes for Serbia, government, and people continued progress and prosperity. During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and discussed the latest international developments.
