25.10.2019. - President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić organised today a ceremonial welcome for the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, who is staying on the official visit to Belgrade.

To the honour of the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a ceremonial review of troops of the Serbian Guard Unit was organised in front of the Palace of Serbia and the national anthems of the two countries were intonated.

President Vučić said today that the cooperation with African countries and therefore with the Democratic Republic of Congo is of great importance for Serbia, and added that Belgrade will continue with the cooperation with all sovereign, independent and free countries across the world.

"I am truly grateful to you for accepting my invitation to visit Belgrade, to visit Serbia. This is the first time in 31 years that we have a visit like this which indicates that we are engaged anew in the establishment of good relations with our African friends. It indicates our intention to re-position the Republic of Serbia in a serious and responsible manner in the African continent, but at the same time, that we know how to confer our gratitude and our hospitality to the ones who have always been our friends and to the ones who seek to cooperate with us today and tomorrow. I wish you to feel in Serbia as at your own home", said the President. 

President Vučić expressed his gratitude for the support of Congo to the territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia, for the support in the international organisations with respect to the issue of Kosovo and Metohija and in all other important matters just like Serbia renders its support to DR Congo.

President Vučić said that concrete pragmatic cooperation was agreed as well as exchange of Ministers at several levels in the coming period and announced that we will host five scholars from Congo here in Serbia who will get their education here thus representing the bridge between the two countries and that the intention is for this number to increase with time. 

"We will establish serious cooperation in the field of agriculture", added President Vučić and reminded that DR Congo is the second biggest country on the African continent, the third by the population with 80 million people and that it is extremely rich in minerals and ores. 

He emphasised that the trade exchange is still small and that as of this year only it exceeds a million euros which is insufficient.

„When we achieve the first results in our cooperation, I hope I will get the invitation to visit DR Congo so that we can open new horizons of cooperation", concluded President Vučić.