Ambassador: Serbs still fondly remember Lukashenko’s visit to Belgrade during bombing
Diplomatic relations between Serbia and Belarus were established in 1994. In her talk with the Belarus 1 TV channel, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Serbia to Belarus Ilina Vukajlovic commented on the vivid episodes of this 30-year diplomatic history.
“Every ambassador is pleased to see the dynamic development of relations between the two countries. The most vivid event that Serbs remember and appreciate is the visit of Belarus’ President Aleksandr Lukashenko to Serbia in 1999 during the bombing. People consider this event to be significant and historic,” the diplomat emphasised. “When I was preparing for the ambassadorship and people heard about it, they thanked the Belarusian leader for supporting them. Serbs do not see it as a political, diplomatic element, they see it as a human step of assistance, a human impulse to support the suffering of the people, to show them that they are not alone. Serbia’s image on the international stage was badly damaged at the time, but during the Belarusian leader’s visit they felt they had a friend, and they were happy. They haven't forgotten. Everyone who hears about Belarus remembers this event first. Since then, relations between the two countries have developed on a friendly basis, based on trust and co-operation. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic visited Minsk in 2019, and later that year Aleksandr Lukashenko came to Belgrade on a return visit. Serbian PM Ana Brnabic, who is now Speaker of Parliament, attended the Munich Security Conference in Minsk, where she met with the President of Belarus. After that, relations between the two countries became more dynamic. There are many points of contact and common views between Belarus and Serbia.”
Asked whether relations had always developed dynamically or whether there had been stumbling blocks, the Ambassador replied, “Belarus is one of the countries with which we have absolute understanding, both politically and between peoples. There have never been any serious misunderstandings. There has always been good co-operation.”
