PM's visit to Israel to be "historic" - ambassador

PM's visit to Israel to be "historic" - ambassador

"As far as I know, this is the first time for the Serbian prime minister to pay an official visit to Israel and it is the sign of gratitude to Vučić and Serbia as a very close and friendly country," Levy told Tanjug and expressed the belief that the visit is highly important because it stresses the centuries' long friendship between Serbian and Jewish people, as well as the joint goals and challenges they are facing.

During his visit to Jerusalem, the Serbian prime minister will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, former president Shimon Peres and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. In Tel Aviv, Vučić will meet with the country's business representatives.

"This will be a meeting between two like-minded prime ministers," Levy said and added that the two countries are facing challenges embodied in the improvement of the economic situation, exchange between Israel and Serbia, celebration of the anniversary of the tragic fate of Jews in Europe, and most importantly the deepening of understanding of strategic alliance and mutual respect. This is an act of a friendly visit to a friendly country, Levy noted.

He underscored that the Israeli companies are already present in Serbia in various sectors, such as investments, trade, research, real estate, advanced technologies and especially agriculture which he qualified as an area with enormous potential.

He expressed the belief that Serbia's economic future is very closely connected to the acceleration of reforms in agriculture and everyone knows that, and added that food can be exported but not imported and this will probably happen. Levy said he believed that Israeli companies would be happy to be a part of the positive development, and the Serbian prime minister understands this and he is pushing the reforms in Serbia forward so that the country may attract investors, including those from Israel, in a number of domains.

Levy said that he "deeply believes in Serbia-Israel cooperation."

He underscored that Israel "has nothing against any nation in the Balkans but it has not recognized Kosovo."

Levy welcomed the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština as the model for solving problems between nations which is for now possible in the Balkans but not in the Middle East which has been hit by general turmoil, unprecedented in recent history.

Israel has not recognized Kosovo "primarily because of its dimension in the Middle East and this is the predominant reason," Levy said and added that he believes it is very brave and courageous to conduct the Belgrade-Priština dialogue. Israel welcomes and respects this model, he said and added that the worst is over for the Balkans.

He noted that "the same does cannot be said about the Middle East," and added that political dialogue is the only way to achieve a genuine solution. To sit at the same table and conduct talks is the right way to achieve normalization of relations, he said.

According to the diplomat, the word stability has disappeared from the regional vocabulary, and it now lives in a new reality that brings "more and more horrible news each day."

"We don't know what will happen next. We are surrounded by semi-military organizations. Some of them are already knocking on our door. There is already fighting with the Islamic State in Lebanon, Syria is bleeding, Iraq, unfortunately, no longer exists as a normal sovereign state, Jordan as a very important country is in danger, Egypt is stable, and that is a country we count on. The commotion in the Arab world is without precedent ever since the 13th century when Mongols devastated the Middle East and set Baghdad on fire," he observed.

Levy said he expected the Islamic world to stop the bloodshed, and noted that he could not see Arab solidarity at work - "perhaps it does not exists, or it exists only against Israel."

Commenting on a draft law that would in the future define Israel as a national state of the Jewish people instead of "Jewish and democratic," as is the case know, Levy said this would not bring into question the essence of his country as a democratic state that respects human rights.

"Israel is the only state of the Jewish people," he said, and added that the draft aims to "preempt" a situation where Palestinians would be "uncertain" about Israel as the home of the Jewish people.

"The last thing we want is for someone to think that Israel is a state of two peoples. Israel is not a state of two peoples," he said, and added that "just as Israel recognizes the right of Palestinians to be free in their future state," so the Jewish people expect Palestinians to recognize the special status of Israel as their home.