Serbian Ambassador: Belgrade looking forward to first session of Strategic Partnership Council with Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan and Serbia share a deep-rooted relationship based on mutual respect, support for territorial integrity, and a commitment to strengthening cooperation. Over the past decades, bilateral ties have expanded significantly, covering political, economic, energy, cultural, and humanitarian spheres.

In an interview with Report, Dragan Vladisavljević, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Serbia to Azerbaijan, discussed the current state of bilateral relations, new economic initiatives, and the prospects for cultural exchange between the two nations.

- How would you assess the current state of Serbian-Azerbaijani relations and the prospects for strengthening them?

- We are very satisfied with the current state of our relations in almost all spheres. Our political ties are built on trust, mutual respect and respect for fundamental principles of international law. As we always highlight, Serbia deeply appreciates Azerbaijan’s consistent support to our efforts to preserve our sovereignty and territorial integrity and attaches great importance to the continuous strengthening of our relations and friendship.

Our cooperation is active in all branches of government – legislative, executive and judicial – with regular contacts and dialogue between our high officials, mutual visits and productive cooperation within international organizations (such as the UN, Council of Europe, OSCE, NATO PA, etc.), which is of great importance to both sides. I also have to underscore that firm and friendly relations between our Presidents contribute substantially to overall development of our strategic partnership.

We have similar level of collaboration in energy and security sector. However, other areas of cooperation do not correspond to our strategic partnership which is why both sides should invest more efforts in taking concrete, practical steps towards better understanding of the market and economic potentials of the other side, identifying investment opportunities and connecting businesspeople.

There is also room for improvement when it comes to cultural exchange, education programs and people to people contacts in general, aimed at fostering mutual understanding and relationships.

- What is the volume of mutual trade between Serbia and Azerbaijan at the end of 2024, and what are the expectations for 2025? What products does Serbia import from Azerbaijan?

- According to relevant Serbian institutions, our trade turnover in 2024 was USD 512.6 million, mainly owing to the import of Azerbaijani hydrocarbons. Apart from oil and gas, Serbia also imports fertilizers from Azerbaijan. I expect that, given some commercial contracts signed last year, this figure will only continue to grow.

How do you assess the potential for mutual trade between our countries and what volume of trade could be achieved in the medium term, for example, by 2028?

I believe that there is a very favourable environment for expanding our trade and economic relations in the long run, but both sides need to put in additional efforts. The Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation has an important role as an instrument of encouraging and monitoring economic development, but more practical steps are needed, particularly in terms of familiarizing business communities with the potentials and capacities of the other side, by organizing specialized business forums, fairs or exchanging visits of interested entrepreneurs. In addition to that, one of the priorities is certainly operationalization of a direct flight between our two capitals, as it would give a much needed impetus to all other areas of interaction.

- How important is the power plant construction project in Niš for Serbia, and does Belgrade count on Azerbaijan's participation in this project?

- The two sides have already harmonized the relevant intergovernmental agreement and are waiting for a suitable moment for signing it. This will be the largest gas-fired power plant in our country and, as such, bears great importance for our energy security and green transition. We highly value Azerbaijani experience in this field and rely heavily on SOCAR in this process.

Serbia recently announced plans to build a new interconnector to connect to the Southern Gas Corridor in order to increase supplies of Azerbaijani gas. What stage is the implementation of this project currently at?

Yes, state energy companies of Serbia and North Macedonia have recently signed a MoU providing legal basis for the construction of a new pipeline between Serbia and North Macedonia, around 70km in length. It will be another means of diversification of our gas supply routes, aimed at enhancing energy security, reducing reliance on single suppliers and facilitating cross-border gas transport. Currently, we are still at the stage of preparing technical documentation and, if everything goes as planned, the project should be completed in 2027.

- How much gas does Serbia expect to import from Azerbaijan after the launch of this interconnector on the border with North Macedonia?

- According to our initial agreement, Serbia has been importing around 400 mcm of Azerbaijani gas (going up to 600 mcm during the winter season), with the possibility of increasing the volume up to 1 bcm by 2027. In addition to that, the two sides have been discussing the possibility of importing additional amounts of gas necessary for the operation of the gas power plant.

- You previously noted the interest of Serbian companies in participating in the restoration work in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. Are there any specific agreements on this topic?

- Unfortunately, we haven’t had any tangible results in that field, even though there is interest on both sides. Serbian companies have great interest, as well as the necessary capacity, to engage in the process of reconstruction and revitalization of Azerbaijani liberated lands. This refers not only to construction companies, but also to those dealing in agriculture and smart technologies. However, I’m afraid that we lack clear information about the planned projects and the process of application, which is why no Serbian company has yet had the opportunity to get engaged in this process.

On the other hand, I would like to recall that Azerbaijani “AzVirt” has been engaged in several road infrastructure projects in Serbia, funded by our government, totalling up to one billion USD so far.

- Are there any plans for mutual visits by official and business circles from Serbia and Azerbaijan in the second half of 2025?

- At the moment, we are preparing for the next round of political consultations which is to be held in Baku in September, as well as for the visit of the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia to Baku. In parallel, we are trying to set the date for the 9th session of the joint Intergovernmental Commission to be held in Belgrade. However, the most important visit for our side, and for our overall relations as well, would certainly be the long-awaited official visit of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev to Serbia and the First Session of the Strategic Partnership Council. We hope that we will soon have the honour of welcoming President Aliyev in Belgrade once again, as we welcome all true friends of our country.

- Given the traditionally friendly relations between our two countries, are there any plans for new initiatives in the fields of culture, education, or tourism aimed at developing ties between our societies?

Out of the three fields, education is, at the moment, the most developed one. Each year, at least three students from Azerbaijan are enrolled in bachelor, masters or PhD studies in Serbia, within World in Serbia scholarship program. Also, there are several candidates from Serbia who have applied for Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant Program this year and we sincerely hope that they will have the opportunity to acquire their degree in Baku and get to know your wonderful country, people and culture. Also, we are very satisfied with the functioning of the Serbian Language and Culture Center at the ADU University and the interest in the Serbian Language studies shown by ADU students.

As for our bilateral cultural and tourism cooperation, I believe that neither side can be satisfied with the current dynamics of activities, particularly having in mind our tourist potentials, the richness of our cultures and, as you said, friendship between our countries. Visa free regime for our citizens is certainly a good incentive for tourist traveling. However, I believe that a direct flight between our capitals could give a real boost to the tourist exchange. In addition, it would be very beneficial to organize familiarization tours to both countries, since, I feel, our peoples still don’t have full awareness of the richness of culture, history, natural beauties of the other side.

Furthermore, we expect that our competent ministries sign a Memorandum of Cooperation in the Field of Culture for the Period 2025-2029. In addition, we will also work on encouraging broader cooperation between the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade and National Carpet Museum in Baku, as well as cooperation between other museums and cultural institutions such as libraries, theaters, broadcasting companies etc. Finally, I find it very important to further incite cooperation in the field of literary translation since literature can be a very powerful means of connecting people, opening new horizons and bringing closer new customs, traditions and mentalities.

PHOTOS: Zaur Mustafayev