Serbia marks 180 years of diplomatic relations with Britain

Serbia marks 180 years of diplomatic relations with Britain

According to the Serbian government, he said that beside political and economic relations, "cultural and scientific ties also had an important role in getting to know each other."

Despite "disagreements over issues that are of special importance for Serbia," there is much room for cooperation, "especially in overcoming the global challenges we face today," Dacic said.

"Serbia sees itself as a reliable partner that the international community can count on. Combating terrorism and all forms of extremism is an urgent task, especially when it comes to the phenomenon of radical Islamism and jihadism," he said.

"The issue of rise of radicalism and violent extremism in Kosovo and Metohija is of particular concern for Serbia, including the participation of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo in foreign battlefields as terrorist fighters," Dacic stressed, and added:

"For us, the biggest security challenge is Kosovo and Metohija. We do not recognize its unilaterally proclaimed independence and we believe that a lasting and sustainable solution can only come through political means in accordance with international law through the neutral status of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, under the auspices of the EU."

"It is our desire and interest that the relations between Serbia and the UK, which have a long tradition, be as good as possible. Therefore, we advocate a more intensive communication and more meetings between officials, which would further strengthen confidence and contribute to the improvement of relations," Dacic underlined.