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Serbia, Panama, Kuwait Sign ASEAN’s Amity Treaty

With the three countries joining the treaty, the ASEAN will have a total of 54 countries as the parties to its TAC…reports Asian Lite News

Serbia, Panama, and Kuwait have signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta, it was reported.

According to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the three countries signed the treaty on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) at the Secretariat of ASEAN in Jakarta on Monday, ANTARA news agency reported.

The AMM serves as the side activity for the upcoming 43rd ASEAN Summit, scheduled to take place in Jakarta on September 5-7, under the chairmanship of Indonesia in the regional bloc this year.

Under its chairmanship theme of “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth,” Indonesia is making utmost efforts to achieve and retain the bloc’s position as the center of economic, political, and socio-cultural growth.

The MFA reported that the TAC was signed by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic, Panamanian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Franco, and Kuwaiti Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Aljaber Al-Sabah.

With the three countries joining the treaty, the ASEAN will have a total of 54 countries as the parties to its TAC. Earlier, at the 56th AMM in July in Jakarta, Saudi Arabia became the 51st country to sign the treaty.



The TAC, established in 1976, constitutes a pact that promotes the adoption of the principle of non-aggression by the member countries of ASEAN and partner countries of the Southeast Asian bloc.

The treaty is expected to encourage its signatories to endorse peace, amity, and cooperation among Southeast Asian Nations and their partners in the hopes of further bolstering the region’s strength, solidarity, and friendly ties.

By going forward with the treaty’s accession, countries need to ensure that their acts abide by the very principles of freedom and sovereignty while placing genuine respect to the territorial integrity and national identity of all countries.

Countries that are party to the treaty should also respect the right of every country to defend their national stance and refrain from intervening, invading, and coercing as well as prioritizing peaceful methods of conflict settlement.

ALSO READ: ASEAN To Adopt Vision 2045

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MBZ meets Serbian President in Belgrade

UAE-Serbia bilateral ties have witnessed significant growth in recent years, and received a further boost with the signing of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement…reports Asian Lite News

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has made a working visit to Serbia, where he met with President Aleksandar Vucic to review relations between the two countries and discuss regional and international developments.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed and President Vucic discussed existing areas of cooperation between the UAE and Serbia and explored opportunities for further collaboration, especially in the areas of renewable energy, agriculture, food security, technology, artificial intelligence, trade and others.

UAE-Serbia bilateral ties have witnessed significant growth in recent years, and received a further boost with the signing of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between the two countries in September 2022.

During their meeting today in Belgrade, the two leaders also discussed various regional and international developments, and the importance of supporting peace and stability, and settling disputes in a peaceful manner for the benefit of all nations. The two leaders also emphasised the importance of dialogue and communication to achieve de-escalation in the Western Balkans and promote stability and security in the region.

His Highness had arrived in Serbia earlier in the day where he was received by President Aleksandar Vucic.

The UAE President was accompanied by a delegation including H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Special Affairs Advisor at the Presidential Court; Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for National Security; Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; and Mubarak Saeed Al Dhaheri, UAE Ambassador to Serbia.

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Murmu holds talks with Serbian counterpart

The two leaders also agreed to strengthen their coordination and cooperation in the United Nations and other multilateral fora…reports Asian Lite News

President Droupadi Murmu held bilateral discussions with her Serbian counterpart Aleksander Vucic on Thursday, during which the two leaders touched upon all important aspects of the country’s relationship.

The President, in a press statement, said that she had “a constructive and productive meeting with President Vucic on all important aspects of our bilateral relationship and global and regional issues of common interest”.

“We also resolved to build further on our long-standing bilateral ties, especially in trade and investment, science and technology, including information and digital technologies, and to promote people-to-people contacts further,” she said.

The two leaders also agreed to strengthen their coordination and cooperation in the United Nations and other multilateral fora.

President Murmu also on the occasion recalled the visit of Vucic to India in 2017, as the then Prime Minister of Serbia.

“His visit set the tone for further expansion of our bilateral partnership,” said Murmu, who is on a three-day state visit to Serbia till June 9.

ALSO READ: Prez Murmu: India-Serbia ties defined in context of NAM

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Prez Murmu: India-Serbia ties defined in context of NAM

President Murmu had on Wednesday arrived in Serbia on a three-day state visit in the second leg of her two-nation tour. She had earlier visited Suriname…reports Asian Lite News

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said that India and Serbia are ancient lands and in the modern era, India’s relations with the Balkan country were particularly defined in the context of the Non-Aligned Movement.

India and Serbia have always shared an understanding of each other’s core interests, she said, adding that based on this bilateral foundation, she would look forward to interacting with the Serbian leadership during the visit.

The President said this while interacting with the Indian community and “Friends of India” at a community reception hosted by the Ambassador of India to Serbia, Sanjiv Kohli in Belgrade.

President Murmu had on Wednesday arrived in Serbia on a three-day state visit in the second leg of her two-nation tour. She had earlier visited Suriname.



She further said in her address that Serbia has been a valuable partner in India’s sustainable development cooperation programmes.

On the global stage, the President stressed that India is recognised as a responsible development partner, a first responder, and a voice of the global South.

Each of these aspects reflects our quest towards becoming a leading power, she said.

The President also referred to the leading role played by India on the issues related to climate action, counter-terrorism, connectivity, maritime security, financial inclusion and food security.

‘Film destination for Indian filmmakers’

President Murmu said that Serbia has emerged as a new film destination for Indian filmmakers.

Addressing the Indian diaspora at the Serbian capital, Belgrade, on Wednesday, Droupadi Murmu said that she has been told Indian movies have been popular in Serbia. “I am told Indian movies have been popular in Serbia, and Serbia has emerged as a new film destination for Indian filmmakers. Many Serbians also have a deep affinity for India’s spiritual heritage, including Yoga. I am also told that Ayurveda is recognized here as a system for cure and treatment,” she said.

She further said that India and Serbia have always shared an understanding of each other’s core interests.

Expressing her gratitude to the friends of India in Serbia and the love and adulation that she has received, the President underlined that their contribution to building friendship and understanding between Serbia and India is crucial.

Pointing out India’s role as a first responder, a voice of the global south and a responsible development partner, President Murmu said Serbia has been a valuable partner in India’s sustainable development cooperation programmes.

“Each of these aspects reflects our quest towards becoming a leading power,” she added.

President Droupadi Murmu reached Belgrade, Serbia, earlier on Wednesday, in the final leg of her two-nation visit to Suriname and Serbia.

The ongoing visit by President Murmu marks the first such visit by an Indian head of state to Serbia. In a special gesture, she was received by the Serbian President

Aleksandar Vucic, and accorded a guard of honour at the Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade.

From the airport, the President travelled to Gandijeva Street where he paid his respects at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Prez Murmu conferred with Suriname’s highest distinction

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President to visit Suriname, Serbia this week

On the second leg of her visit, President Murmu will pay a State Visit to Serbia on June 7, at the invitation of Aleksandar Vucic, President of Serbia…reports Asian Lite News

President Droupadi Murmu will embark on a two-nation tour, Suriname and Serbia from June 4, according to the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs.

During her visit to Suriname, from June 4-6, Presiden Murmu will visit Paramaribo at the invitation of Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the country. On June 5, President will be the Chief Guest of the celebrations organized in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in Suriname.

President will hold bilateral talks with her Suriname counterpart Santokhi. She will also visit places of historical and cultural importance and interact with the members of the Indian community and diaspora.

On the second leg of her visit, President Murmu will pay a State Visit to Serbia on June 7, at the invitation of Aleksandar Vucic, President of Serbia.

“During her two-day visit, President will have a bilateral meeting with President Vucic, and meet the Prime Minister, Ana Brnabic, and Speaker of the National Assembly, Vladimir Orlic. President will also address a business event and interact with the Indian community and friends of India,” according to the statement

Notably, Murmu’s visit to Suriname marks her first State Visit since assuming the office of the President last year.

The visit of the President to Suriname, following closely the visit of President Santokhi to India in January 2023, will provide further impetus to the ongoing momentum in bilateral relations.

“President’s State Visit to Serbia is the first-ever visit by a Head of State from either side and reflects India’s commitment to further strengthen bilateral trade and economic, cultural and people-to-people ties,” the statement read. (ANI)

ALSO READ-NATO urges Kosovo to de-escalate tension with Serbia

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NATO urges Kosovo to de-escalate tension with Serbia

Photo taken on April 6, 2022 shows a sculpture and flags at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong/IANS)

Things were still tense in the north part of the country where heavily armed police forces in armoured vehicles were guarding municipality buildings….reports Asian Lite News

NATO on Saturday urged Kosovo to dial down tensions with Serbia, a day after its government forcibly accessed municipal buildings to install mayors in ethnic Serb areas in the north of the country.

The resulting clashes on Friday between Kosovan police and protesters opposed to the ethnic Albanian mayors prompted Serbia to put its army on full combat alert and to move units closer to the border.

“We urge the institutions in Kosovo to de-escalate immediately and call on all parties to resolve the situation through dialogue,” said Oana Lungescu, a spokeswoman for the transatlantic military alliance, in a Twitter post.

She said KFOR, the 3,800-strong NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, would remain vigilant.

Things were still tense in the north part of the country where heavily armed police forces in armoured vehicles were guarding municipality buildings.

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti defended police actions in escorting the new mayors the previous day.

“It is the right of those elected in democratic elections to assume office without threats or intimidation. It is also the right of citizens to be served by those elected officials,” Kurti said on Twitter on Saturday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday criticized Kurti’s government for its actions in the north, saying they “unnecessarily escalated tensions, (were) undermining our efforts to help normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia and will have consequences for our bilateral relations with Kosovo.”

Almost a decade after the end of a war there, Serbs in Kosovo’s northern region do not accept Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia and still see Belgrade as their capital.

Ethnic Albanians form more than 90per cent of the population in Kosovo, with Serbs only the majority in the northern region.

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Serbia lauds UAE’s evacuation efforts in Sudan

A Serbian diplomat has hailed the UAE’s evacuation of a number of her country’s citizens as a testament to the Emirates’ humanitarian solidarity, reaching out and providing aid to nations around the world.

“We, on behalf of the leadership in the Republic of Serbia, extend our thanks, gratitude, and appreciation to the leadership, government, and people of the UAE for the humanitarian support provided,” Danica Savović, Charge d’Affairs at the Serbian Embassy in the UAE, told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) as an evacuation plane arrived today in Abu Dhabi from Sudan carrying foreign nationals of 16 brotherly and friendly countries. 

She continued by saying that during the evacuations, the UAE stood by numerous Serbians in Sudan, demonstrating the high regard for fellow human beings that permeates the UAE society as evidenced by their kindness and welcoming toward the evacuees.
She noted that the UAE evacuated a number of Serbians today, including a family with children, and treated them with warmth and welcome.

“The evacuees have been reassured and given adequate housing so they could continue traveling back to their country in safety and security,” the diplomat added.

The evacuaees expressed their gratitutde to the UAE leaders, saying that the Emirates’ humanitarian efforts will live on in their hearts and minds, lauding the country’s keenness on providing all means of support and assistance to ensure their safety. 

ALSO READ: SUDAN CRISIS: GCC Urges Calm

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Outrage in Serbia after Chinese firm destroys war monument

Serbian Ministry of Construction has disputed that the company was authorized to remove the monument…reports Asian Lite News

Outrage in Serbia after a Chinese construction company building a highway destroyed a war memorial monument honouring Serbian soldiers of world war I and II, Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty reported. Only pieces of statues of fallen World I and II fighters remain now.

A Chinese construction company working on a highway project tore down the towering statues of fighters near the village of Negrisori. A plaque with the names of almost 150 fallen soldiers was also destroyed. The demolition of a monument in Serbia honouring the fallen soldiers of World Wars I and II has caused anger among veteran groups and local residents. Nikola Calovic, a Negrisori resident said, “I can’t believe someone destroyed a monument to people who gave their lives to this country. I will personally, in my name, file a criminal complaint with the competent prosecutor’s office,” as per the news report.

Dragomir Zivanovic, a Negisori resident, said, “I was literally in tears because this was something inexplicable. I have no comment adequate for this kind of act. I was born here and grew up here. I mean that is a sin, a sin against the ancestors, against the people who gave their lives,” Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty reported.

Meanwhile, Lucani Mayor Milivoje Dolovic said, “That monument was located on the route of the highway and the Chinese contractor had permission from the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments from Kraljevo to remove it.” Meanwhile, the Serbian Ministry of Construction has disputed that the company was authorized to remove the monument.

As per the news report, the Highway Builder, China Communications Construction Company, has landed in trouble before also. Earlier, the World Bank had imposed sanctions against sanctions over fraud in the Philippines. (ANI)

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Tension between Serbia, Kosovo over EU plan

Both countries want to join the EU, which has told them that they first need to sort out their differences. The agreement says they will not hamper each other’s steps to join the bloc…reports Asian Lite News

Kosovo has accused Serbia of refusing to sign a European Union-sponsored plan that would normalise relations after months of rising political tensions.

On Monday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti gave their tacit approval to the EU plan to end months of political crisis and help improve bilateral ties.

The agreement stipulates that both countries would recognise their respective documents and national symbols, and respect their independence, autonomy and territorial integrity, the right of self-determination, the protection of human rights, and non-discrimination.

They have agreed to deepen future cooperation in the fields of economy, science and technology, transport and connectivity, judicial and law enforcement, health, sport, environmental protection and missing persons.

Both countries want to join the EU, which has told them that they first need to sort out their differences. The agreement says they will not hamper each other’s steps to join the bloc.

Recently, tensions flared over seemingly trivial matters like vehicle licence plate formats, or the arrest of an ethnic Serb police officer.

“By the end of this year, we cannot have the agreement implemented in full. Elections must first be held in the north of Kosovo (after the resignation of the Serbian mayors). This is the main condition for the formation of the Association of Serbian Municipalities. Without them, this association is impossible,” said Fatmir Scheholi, Institute for Affirmation of Inter-Ethnic Relations.

There has been fresh concern among Western leaders that the tensions might spill over into a new Balkan conflict, breaking out just as Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its second year.

The EU has mediated negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo since 2011, but few of the 33 agreements that have been signed were put into action. The EU and the US have pressed for faster progress since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.

“Free interpretation is allowed and now, after the publication of the agreement, the main question is how the citizens of both Kosovo and Serbia will react to the proposed text,” said Jovana Radosavljević of the Kosovo-based NGO the New Social Initiative.

Serbia and Kosovo have confirmed their obligation to implement all past dialogue agreements. Albania called the deal an “important achievement”, even though it has not yet been signed.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said that “more work is needed” and that the two countries’ leaders would meet again next month.

In recent months, US and EU envoys have visited Pristina and Belgrade regularly to encourage them to accept the new proposals, and the two leaders met with senior EU representatives on the sidelines of a major security conference in the German city of Munich earlier this month.

“Our expectations are very high to this agreement and I think what’s new is not only the seriousness of both governments but the seriousness of our European partners to make this happen in the shadow of one of the biggest crises Europe has seen since World War 2,” senior US State Department official Gabriel Escobar said.

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Serbia agrees to consider Western proposal on Kosovo

The Serbian President expressed Serbia’s willingness to consider the “plan proposed in September 2022” …reports Asian Lite News

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic discussed the issue of his country’s autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija on Friday with representatives of the EU, the US, France, Germany and Italy in an attempt to resolve the frozen conflict between Belgrade and Pristina amid frequent tensions in the province.

The meeting here was attended by the EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak, the US’ Deputy Assistant Secretary overseeing policy towards the countries of the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar, the advisors on foreign and security policy to the French President and German Chancellor, Emmanuel Bonne and Jens Plettner, respectively, and the diplomatic adviser to the Prime Minister of Italy, Francesco Talo.

“What we agree on is that a frozen conflict is not a solution and that when you have a frozen conflict, it is only a matter of time when someone will unfreeze it and when irresponsible individuals will collapse the peace and stability of the entire Western Balkans,” Vucic said after the meeting, according to the statement of the President’s office.

In 2022, the fragile dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina was interrupted by tensions around the validity of Serbian identity documents, travel documents and license plates, which resulted in Serbs quitting Kosovo’s institutions and protests.

The Serbian President expressed Serbia’s willingness to consider the “plan proposed in September 2022” in light of “problems and challenges that would be put before our country if we did not agree with the proposed plan”.

According to the version leaked to the media, the aim of the proposed plan is to achieve “full normalisation” of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

“We are ready to accept the concept and work on the implementation of the proposed plan, with the fact that I made one thing very clear and showed all care and reserve on one important issue,” Vucic said, without fully disclosing his concern.

Vucic added that consultations will be held “with members of government, members of parliament and all significant social groups” regarding the proposed plan.

Lajcak said that the meeting was “intensive and open,” and that Vucic demonstrated a responsible approach and will to make difficult decisions in the interest of peace and the European perspective for Serbia.

Lajcak added that the “plan presented in September is the best way to normalise relations between Belgrade and Pristina and the European integration of the region”.

Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia rejects it and considers Kosovo its own province.

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