First Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Ivica Dacic, who is visiting the Dominican Republic, said today that his visit to this country was of historic importance to the development of relations between Serbia and the Dominican Republic.

"I express my pleasure at my visit to the Dominican Republic and at the talks that I had with my counterpart and friend, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, but also at the signing of bilateral agreements. It is our desire for Serbia and the Dominican Republic to build friendly bilateral relations and a strategic partnership.

We have signed a number of agreements. We have signed the Agreement on Mutual Visa Exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports and the Agreement on the formation of a Working Group on Economic Cooperation. Our aim is to develop as much as possible economic and trade cooperation and, in this context, to connect our chambers of commerce in order to find the best ways of increasing our commercial exchange that is at a very low level and worth some 2-3 million US dollars. We have also signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between our Diplomatic Academy and the Institute of the Foreign Ministry of the Dominican Republic in exchanges of diplomats.

We are going to establish consular posts of Serbia in the Dominican Republic and of the Dominican Republic in Serbia, headed by honorary diplomatic officers.

We support each other in international organizations wishing that we assist each other and that our friends be your friends too, and vice versa. We are far away but rest assured that Serbia is a great friend of yours.

We are very much looking forward to a visit by my colleague Vargas to Belgrade in order to reciprocate the generous hospitality bestowed upon us here. I assure you that you will have a cordial welcome and be given our proverbial great hospitality in Belgrade. I believe that our meeting here is of historic importance to the development of relations between our countries. I convey to you regards from our President Aleksandar Vucic who will be glad to play host both to Minister Vargas and to your President."