First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic is on a three-day visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam where he met with the country's top officials.

In addition to the successful meetings he had in Hanoi, Minister Dacic today visited Ho Chi Minh City where he had talks with representatives of the Serbian diaspora.

"As agreed upon with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, the Republic of Serbia will establish its Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), headed by Honorary Consul Dragan Mladenovic.

There are some very successful business people originally from Serbia living in Ho Chi Minh City, people active in public and sports life who have worked here for as long as several decades. I had an opportunity to talk to them this evening and we together discussed ways to forge the best possible ties, as well as to achieve what was agreed in the meetings I had in Hanoi with Vietnam's Foreign and Prime Ministers.

In the coming period a thematic meeting will be organized with Serbian and Vietnamese entrepreneurs, because the foreign trade between us is not as high as it should be.

Therefore, I expect that following the mutual abolition of visas between our two countries, a Consulate General of our country will open its doors in Ho Chi Minh by the end of the year.

In the past twenty years or so, Serbia has unjustifiably neglected its ties with Vietnam, a country which is 13th most populous nation in the world with a population of nearly 100 million.

Vietnam is important to Serbia both economically and politically, especially since we expect Vietnam's support concerning Kosovo and Metohija", said the Head of Serbian diplomacy.