Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkić has visited Myanmar at the beginning of his tour through Southeast Asia on Thursday.
The Serbian official stated that ensuring jobs for Serbian companies in Asia was “one of the priorities in terms of foreign policy”.
“We will try to ensure jobs in terms of train car assembly and in various other sectors such as energy and reinforcement of infrastructure in Myanmar,” Mrkić told Tanjug and said that authorities are doing their best to ensure jobs for Serbian companies in all available areas.
The minister recalled that Serbian companies are engaged in the setting of transmission lines in Myanmar popularly termed “the small tiger” because it is situated in the area developing at the fastest pace in the world.
“You know that the task of diplomacy and Serbia’s priority in terms of foreign policy is to promote Serbia’s goods and services in the region,” Mrkić said and added that countries of Southeast Asia are relatively capable and that Serbia also wishes to reinforce its economy and ensure prompt recovery in this way.
Having in mind the unemployment rate in the country, visits like this one and additional agreements are helping Serbia get what it needs, Mrkić noted.
Mrkić will be on a visit to Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam as of Wednesday until March 2.
Mrkić met with Myanmar’s Minister of Culture Aye Myint Kyu in Naypyidaw, the country’s capital city, and the two officials signed an intergovernmental agreement on cultural and educational cooperation.
Over the next two days, Mrkić should meet with his host, Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin, the country’s president Thein Sein, Shwe Mann, Speaker of the House of Representatives, lower house of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the country’s parliament and Mayor of Yangon (formerly Rangoon) Hla Myint.
These meetings should reaffirm Serbia’s commitment to further developing its ties with Myanmar, particularly those regarding the promotion of Serbian brands in the country’s market, projects in military and economic cooperation, continuation of the scholarship program for foreign students in Serbia and opportunities for inter-university cooperation.
According to announcements issued earlier, the tour will be an opportunity to strengthen the high-level political dialogue concerning the most important international and regional issues, seek further support for Serbia’s stands and policy and analyse prospects for improvement of economic and other modes of cooperation.
During the visit, several bilateral agreements on cooperation should be signed with host countries.
Source B92