First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic met today with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Nicaragua Denis Moncada.

At a joint press conference, Minister Dacic said that Nicaragua would not alter its position and that it would continue to provide its support to the international legal order and to the fight of the Republic of Serbia for the preservation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Minister Dacic stressed the importance of the position of Nicaragua, reminding of the pressure to support Pristina many countries had been exposed to, as well as of the fact that Costa Rica, Nicaragua's southern neighbour, was the first country in the world to recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo.

"Nicaragua, a country with which we have a 40-year long diplomatic tradition, supports Serbia in its endeavours to continue the dialogue as a way of overcoming the issues between Belgrade and Pristina", Minister Dacic said.
Nicaragua would not support Kosovo's membership in the international organizations – Interpol, UNESCO and others, as stated by the two Ministers at the joint press conference, Serbia and Nicaragua having a high level of friendly relations, respect and support in the context of the preservation of their national interests. Serbia had lent its support to this friendly Central American country and would continue to do so, the Serbian Foreign Minister said.

Minister Dacic underlined that it was necessary to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries, which at the moment was at a very low point. He said it was good that during his visit to Serbia Minister Moncada could also meet with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, the representatives of the Ministry of Economy and of the Chamber of Commerce.

Minister noted that there was room for improvement with regard to the system of political consultations between Serbia and Nicaragua and cooperation in different areas – between the ministries of internal affairs, defence, as well as in the areas of military cooperation, culture, education, student exchange programmes and scholarships.
Minister Moncada said that the main objective of his visit, apart from the strengthening of friendship and cooperation, was to step up trade exchange, boost investment and cooperation in the area of agriculture, which formed a major part of Nicaragua's industry, underlining the primary interest in fertilizers, as well as cooperation in the services sector.

Minister Dacic reminded that he had recently signed an agreement with the officials from Nicaragua to waive visas for diplomatic and official passport holders, which should soon be ratified in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.