Address by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic at the opening ceremony of the Street of Tunisia in Belgrade:

"Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great honour for me to attend today's ceremony of opening the Street of Tunisia in Belgrade.

Above all, allow me to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude for the generous hospitality I received during my visit to the Republic of Tunisia in March this year when, apart from other officials from Tunisia, I had the great honour of meeting with the Mayor of Tunis, Mrs. Souad Abderrahim and of extending an invitation to her to visit Belgrade. It is an enormous pleasure that she accepted my invitation and that now she is a dear guest of our capital.
Reminding you of the history of our relations and cooperation which dates back to the Non-Aligned Movement, allow me also to go even farther back in history, to World War One, and underline the eternal gratitude Serbia feels towards Tunisia for having given shelter and help to our soldiers, the wounded and civilians. Owing to Tunisia's big heart, 52,000 Serbian soldiers recovered and returned to the battlefield to take part in the Allied victory in that war. There are over 3,700 tombs of Serbian soldiers and civilians to whom Tunisia remains eternal resting place. Serbia cannot and will not forget the friendship and help Tunisia offered and we will always feel special connection with this country.

Building on the numerous, historical ties between our two countries and peoples, as well as the similarities regarding our foreign policies, we can develop relations not only of closer cooperation and greater understanding, but also of strategic partnership.

During my visit to Tunisia, a street bearing the name of Serbia was inaugurated, and a memorial plaque dedicated to the Serbian soldiers who landed in Bizerta was unveiled. We stand forever grateful to our Tunisian friends.

Today's ceremony of opening the Street of Tunisia in Belgrade is an expression of sincere and long-standing friendship between Serbia and Tunisia based on mutual respect of the two peoples and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the two countries.
Finally, I would like to underline that the ceremony today is yet another proof that these initiatives, cultural ties in particular, provide the basis for overall relations between two countries and two peoples, making them even stronger and even more inextricable.

Long live the friendship between Serbia and Tunisia!"