Serbia Lauds Indonesia For Not Recognizing Kosovo

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Visiting Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic has expressed gratitude to Indonesia for not recognizing Kosovo's sovereignty.

"Serbia highly appreciates the fact that Indonesia does not recognize Kosovo and they support our sovereignty and territory of our country," Nikolic said during his visit to the Presidential Palace here on Wednesday.

Nikolic said he, on behalf of the Serbian people and on his personal behalf, also thanked Indonesia for not recognizing Kosovo in the World Bank.

Moreover, Indonesia has also rejected the admission of Kosovo to UNESCO, he said.

"We appreciate the strong position of Indonesia as the largest Muslim country and in the matter of Kosovo I have told President Jokowi about Kosovo case, along with many of the problems of extremism and many of the Albanians problems associated with the ISIS," he said.

During the visit, the Serbian President also held a dialogue with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to discuss Serbia's concern about the fact that more and more countries have recognized Kosovo's sovereignty.

The increasing recognition of Kosovo's sovereignty could lead to ISIS proclaiming themselves to be a country which will pose a global problem, he said.

President Nikolic said that he did not measure Serbian and Indonesian friendship based on material value.

"Indonesia is a friend who really is right for our country and it's been proven," Nikolic said.

But Nikolic admitted that there are a lot of opportunities to enhance cooperation in all fields between the two countries, including in the areas of technology, infrastructure, information technology, military, pharmaceutical, and others.

"At the business forum last year in Serbia, both countries want and have prepared to connect and work together and invest in respective country," he said.  (WDY)