The Consulate of the Republic of Serbia with consular jurisdiction in the territories of Žilinský, Banskobystrický and Trenčiansky self-governing regions was formally inaugurated on 22 January 2018 in the Slovak town of Martin. Honorary Consul Mojmír Vrlík heads the Consulate. Enhancement of economic cooperation, cultural exchange and scientific and technical cooperation will be given priority in the work of the Consulate, in the interest of improving bilateral relations and overall cooperation between the two countries.

The official ceremony of unveiling the plaque with the name of the Consulate in Martin inscribed on it and of hoisting the Serbian flag was attended by Andrej Hrnčiar, Deputy Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic and Mayor of Martin, Ambassador Martin Bezák, Director of the Consular Department at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Erika Jurinová, President of the Žilinský self-governing region, and by Igor Choma, Mayor of the town of Žilina and an MP for Smer – Sociálna demokracia (Smer-SD).



Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs responsible for consular matters Vera Vukićević and Ambassador of Serbia in Slovakia Šani Dermaku attended the ceremony on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. The event was also attended by Michal Lörincz, Honorary Consul General of the Kingdom of Denmark in Bratislava also covering Martin, Pavel Babka, founder and owner of the Babka Gallery in Kovacica, and a large number of figures from public and cultural life of the town of Martin.



Ambassador Dermaku underlined that the establishment of the Serbian Consulate in Martin created new opportunities for cooperation in the areas of economy, science, education and culture, among others, to the benefit of citizens of the two countries. As the event received media attention, the Ambassador explained, both for national television and for several local TV stations, how important the inauguration of the Consulate in Martin was for deepening the already good political and economic relations between the two countries, especially in the light of the significant presence of Serbian workers in Slovakia.



Ms. Vukićević recalled that the relations between Serbia and Slovakia were at a high level and that they were accompanied by political dialogue in all areas.



"Slovakia's principled position of non-recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called "Kosovo" was of special importance to Serbia. The support that Slovakia lends to Serbia in its European integration process was also immensely important to Serbia, since the process was one of Serbia's cardinal foreign policy priorities. Having in mind the two countries' potentials, intensification of economic cooperation and increase of Slovak investments in Serbia were some of the priorities in Serbia's relationship with Slovakia, and the close ties based on a genuine friendship between the two peoples certainly contributed to that end", Ms. Vukićević added.

Ambassador Martin Bezák underscored that members of the Slovak national minority in Serbia and of the Serbian community in Slovakia (which was granted the national minority status in 2010), forged a special bond between the two states. He emphasized that opportunities for cooperation existed at both political and economic levels, and in scientific, cultural and other fields.