{"id":770771,"date":"2026-05-03T16:41:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T16:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/770771\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T16:41:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T16:41:18","slug":"serbian-fm-djuric-strategic-partnership-with-israel-historic-step-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/770771\/","title":{"rendered":"Serbian FM Djuric: Strategic partnership with Israel \u2018historic step forward\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Serbia and Israel<\/a> have elevated their relationship to a formal strategic partnership, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric told The Jerusalem Post last week, following the launch of the first structured strategic dialogue between the two countries in Jerusalem.<\/p>\n

The new framework marks the most significant upgrade in bilateral ties in recent years, formalizing cooperation across defense, trade, technology, and diplomacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have reached the level of strategic partnership between both countries,\u201d Djuric told the Post, describing the talks as a \u201chistoric step forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

The meetings, which included senior representatives from both governments, lasted more than four hours and covered a wide range of issues, from regional security and economic integration to scientific and technological cooperation. The dialogue also included high-level security officials.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonored to host my friend Serbia\u2019s FM @markodjuric, with his distinguished delegation, in Jerusalem for the first Israel-Serbia Strategic Dialogue,\u201d Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar<\/a> wrote on X\/Twitter. \u201cHUGE step forward in our strategic relations!\u201d<\/p>\n

A central pillar of the discussions is the ongoing negotiation of a free-trade agreement. According to both Israeli and Serbian officials, the agreement is expected to significantly expand bilateral trade, which has already grown rapidly in recent years.<\/p>\n

\"ForeignForeign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Serbia’s foreign minister Marko \u0110uri\u0107 meet in Jerusalem on April 28, 2026. (credit: screenshot\/x\/@gidonsaar)<\/p>\n

Over the past four years, trade between Israel and Serbia has tripled, positioning Israel as Serbia\u2019s leading export destination in the Middle East and its fourth-largest outside Europe<\/a>. The new agreement is expected to remove barriers and open further opportunities for companies on both sides.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I speak of a free-trade agreement with one of the most developed economies in the world, that means when we join forces in different fields, we achieve better results,\u201d Djuric said.<\/p>\n

Israel, Serbia to establish Economic Committee, Chamber of Commerce<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alongside the free-trade negotiations, the two countries are working to establish a Joint Economic Committee and an Israel-Serbia Chamber of Commerce, and to expand Israel\u2019s economic representation in Belgrade. Officials say these mechanisms are intended to sustain long-term growth and institutionalize business cooperation.<\/p>\n

Connectivity between the countries is also increasing. Direct flights between Tel Aviv<\/a> and Belgrade are set to rise to five weekly services.<\/p>\n

Serbian officials have promoted Belgrade as a regional hub, with the city set to host EXPO 2027 \u2013 a major international exhibition bringing together countries and cultures \u2013 and Djuric described the city as \u201cthe crossroads of civilizations,\u201d being \u201cthe biggest city between Vienna and Istanbul.\u201d<\/p>\n

Defense cooperation between Israel and Serbia has also deepened in recent years, with Israeli technology integrated into Serbia\u2019s military, including systems showcased during national military parades in Belgrade. According to Djuric, this is proof of a \u201chigh degree of trust\u201d between the two countries, as well as Serbia\u2019s effort to position itself as \u201ca pillar of stability in southeastern Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n

The strengthening of ties comes amid a shift in Europe\u2019s approach to Israel following the October 7 attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza. While some European governments have distanced themselves from Israel or adopted more critical positions, Serbia has maintained consistent political and practical support.<\/p>\n

That support was evident in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, when President Aleksandar Vucic moved quickly to coordinate with Israel, including in areas of munitions supplies that drew criticism from other European countries.<\/p>\n

It also extended into the civilian sphere. During the war, Israeli sports teams, unable to host matches at home, were given venues in Serbia, where, according to Serbian officials, events took place without incident.<\/p>\n

\u201cSerbia has strategically made a decision to stand again, as many times before in history at crucial historic moments, with the Jewish people and with the State of Israel,\u201d Djuric told the Post.<\/p>\n

The foreign minister also pointed to longstanding historical ties, including Serbia\u2019s early recognition of the Balfour Declaration and the deep roots of its Jewish community, much of which was destroyed during the Holocaust. In recent years, Serbia has also passed legislation enabling the return of heirless Jewish property, becoming the first European country to do so.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Djuric recognized the growing trend of antisemitism across the continent, stating that, \u201cUnfortunately, there is a visible rise in antisemitic propaganda in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the minister argued that such sentiment has not taken hold in Serbia in the same way, claiming, \u201cThis propaganda does not fall on fertile ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone who shouts something against the Jews in Serbia harms at the same time both the Serbs and the Jews,\u201d he said, adding that attacks or rhetoric targeting Jews are viewed domestically as an attack on Serbian society itself.<\/p>\n

Beyond policy and diplomacy, however, there was also a more personal and familial highlight to Djuric\u2019s visit. He was also to meet up with his cousin, Alon Ohel, who was kidnapped by Hamas during the Nova music festival attack on October 7, 2023, and remained captive in the Gaza Strip for two years before being released on October 13, 2025, as part of the Gaza peace agreement.<\/p>\n

Djuric and Ohel are distant cousins, and although they have met before in the US and other countries, Djuric explained that meeting with him in Israel and walking the streets of Tel Aviv was something more \u201cheartening.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c[We] share the same great-grandfather from Novi Sad, and with [Ohel] I was able to stroll the streets of Tel Aviv, to go to Carmel Market, to eat a shawarma. I never believed that this day would come.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Djuric, his visit was both a diplomatic and personal success, and he left a parting message of Serbia\u2019s continued solidarity with Israel.<\/p>\n

As he told the Post, \u201cTo be here at a time which is difficult for the State of Israel is to send a message that you are not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Serbia and Israel have elevated their relationship to a formal strategic partnership, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric told…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":770772,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[7838,56665,6385,28463,99,50,103051,89637,20864,130],"class_list":{"0":"post-770771","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-diplomacy","9":"tag-foreign-ministry","10":"tag-gaza-hostages","11":"tag-gideon-saar","12":"tag-israel","13":"tag-news","14":"tag-nova-music-festival","15":"tag-serbia","16":"tag-the-october-7-massacre","17":"tag-trade"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116511643212792973","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/770771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=770771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/770771\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/770772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=770771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=770771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=770771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}