First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic received today Ambassador of the Czech Republic Ivana Hlavsova, who is about to bring her mission in the Republic of Serbia to an end, later this month.

In the cordial talks, both sides noted the long history and tradition of the close and friendly relations between our two countries, stressing the need for their deepening and further strengthening in all areas of common interest.

The officials noted that they were pleased with the intensified continued political dialogue carried out between the two countries at all levels, conveying their readiness to pursue it further in the future as well.

Minister Dacic expressed his gratitude for the strong support extended by the Czech Republic to the European integration of the Republic of Serbia, as well as his expectation that it would be maintained further along Serbia's negotiating process towards EU membership.

Ambassador Ivana Hlavsova personally thanked Minster Dacic for the cooperation, stressing that, in addition to very good relations between the two countries and cooperation with Serbian officials and institutions, her tenure here was also marked by a confidence in the strong bonds of friendship existing between the two countries and peoples.

Minister Dacic underlined his belief that this year's 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the then Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and then Czechoslovakia, to be observed jointly, would present an opportunity to underscore once again the significance of Serbia's bilateral relations with the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.