Serbian president continues Israel visit, confers with PM

JERUSALEM Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic met on Tuesday in Jerusalem with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Nikolic thanked his host for the welcome, and voiced his desire for the two countries to further develop bilateral relations. Serbian president continues Israel visit, confers with PM "It is a great pleasure to be in Israel with mixed feelings - compassion for your people and admiration for what you have done. I wish for our relations to develop even more and for the world to resemble ties between Serbia and Israel, and I wish to thank you for your welcome," Nikolic said. Netanyahu qualified Israel-Serbia relations as excellent and voiced belief they will be "even better." "I look forward to talks (with Nikolic) on bilateral issues, region and the world, which is changing rapidly, but, unlike our relations, not necessarily for the better," he said. After the welcome, Nikolic and Netanyahu both inscribed an excerpt from the Bible of their choice in their native language. Earlier on Tuesday, Nikolic visited the Israeli parliament, Knesset, where he met with Speaker Yuli Edelstein. On Monday, Nikolic met with his Israeli counterpart and visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. He is due to tour several other historical and religious landmarks, and confer with Israeli officials, as well as with the Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem. After his two-day visit to Israel, Nikolic will head for Palestine, where he will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The Serbian delegation also includes Agriculture Minister Goran Knezevic and presidential advisors Marko Djuric and Stanislava Pak. Nikolic is seen at the Yad Vashem on Monday (Beta/AP) Tanjug

Serbian president continues Israel visit, confers with PM

"It is a great pleasure to be in Israel with mixed feelings - compassion for your people and admiration for what you have done. I wish for our relations to develop even more and for the world to resemble ties between Serbia and Israel, and I wish to thank you for your welcome," Nikolić said.

Netanyahu qualified Israel-Serbia relations as excellent and voiced belief they will be "even better."

"I look forward to talks (with Nikolić) on bilateral issues, region and the world, which is changing rapidly, but, unlike our relations, not necessarily for the better," he said.

After the welcome, Nikolić and Netanyahu both inscribed an excerpt from the Bible of their choice in their native language.

Earlier on Tuesday, Nikolić visited the Israeli parliament, Knesset, where he met with Speaker Yuli Edelstein.

On Monday, Nikolić met with his Israeli counterpart and visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. He is due to tour several other historical and religious landmarks, and confer with Israeli officials, as well as with the Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem.

After his two-day visit to Israel, Nikolić will head for Palestine, where he will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Serbian delegation also includes Agriculture Minister Goran Knežević and presidential advisors Marko Đurić and Stanislava Pak.