Remarks by First Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic at the opening ceremony of the Consulate of the Republic of Serbia, headed by Honorary Consul Carmen Rosa Carhuancho Hurtado, seated in Lima:


"Dear Madam Urtado,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear guests,

I am honored and pleased to welcome you today, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, and thank you for attending the ceremonial opening of the Consulate of the Republic of Serbia in Lima, headed by Honorary Consul Carmen Rosa Carhuancho Hurtado.
May I highlight with pleasure the friendly and good relations fostered by our two states and peoples. I wish to recall that our diplomatic relations date back to the period before the Second World War, and were renewed in 1967. Peru was one of the most important political and economic partners of the SFRY in Latin America while friendly relations originated from a time of close co-operation within the Non-Aligned Movement. The Republic of Peru is a country with rich tradition and long history, marking the jubilee in 2021, i.e. 200 years since it gained independence.

It is also the desire of the Republic of Serbia to continue to develop and promote close relations with the Republic of Peru, in all areas of common interest.

Bilateral economic relations remain one of the main forms of cooperation and represent an area with great potential for improvement. It was jointly assessed that there was room to further intensify economic cooperation, primarily in the fields of agriculture and arms industry, as well as for the collaboration within the Pacific Alliance. I would like to stress that "Energoprojekt" company has been successfully operating in Peru for many years and has its representative office in Lima.
The Honorary Consul's Office of the Republic of Serbia in Lima will significantly contribute to the establishment and development of economic cooperation among partners from the Serbian and Peruvian sides, especially given the increased interest of Peruvian companies for investing in the Republic of Serbia.

I would like to underline that the opening of the Consulate of the Republic of Serbia, headed by the Honorary Consul in Lima, will make additional impetus to the intensification and expansion of the cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Peru, especially in the fields of trade, investment, tourism, culture, education, science and technology. The activities of the Honorary Consul will focus on further development of economic and cultural ties, especially on cooperation between the regions and cities of the two countries, in the interest of improving interstate relations and comprehensive cooperation.

The Institution of Honorary Consuls in the Republic of Serbia has a rich tradition and importance in diplomatic and consular relations. Today, the Republic of Serbia has 75 honorary consuls abroad. They are mostly representatives of the business community, prominent lawyers, physicians, professors, cultural workers as well as individuals from other professional backgrounds. All of them are, as a rule, highly educated persons, with high reputation in their own communities, who, on a voluntary basis and with the best of intentions, have accepted to perform these responsible duties.

Dear Mrs. Hurtado, let me once again wish you every success in your future work.

Thank you!"