Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic spent Christmas Eve at the New Gracanica Monastery in Chicago where he attended the liturgy officiated by Bishop Longin of New Gracanica and Midwestern America.

After burning the Badnjak (Yule log) in the churchyard, Selaković talked with the members of the Serbian diaspora.

On this occasion, Selaković said that he was honored to spend Christmas with the Serbian diaspora in the State of Illinois, noting that in the past representatives of our country were visiting that part of the world in order to seek some sort of assistance and expressed his desire to present Serbia as it is today-a lively and proud Serbia that experienced its full renaissance in the time of Aleksandar Vučić.

According to him, Serbs are well established in this part of the United States, they have achieved many life and professional successes and are closely following the progress of Serbia and increasingly want to return to their homeland.

"It is our task to show that Serbia is a mother to her children wherever they are and that their return to Serbia is always desired," Selaković said.

Bishop Longin said that it was encouraging that for the first time a representative of the Government of Serbia came to Chicago for Christmas, where the Serbian people, although geographically far from the motherland, are faithful and loyal to the name of Serbia and Orthodox faith.

"I believe that this day will remain inscribed in golden letters in our annals here. "I have a feeling that the time has come for the representatives of the state not to come expecting support and help from the Serbs, but to come and ask what the state can do for them," the Bishop said.

The liturgy was also attended by the Director of the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the region Arnaud Gouillon. The Delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia will also attend today the Christmas service at the Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox  Cathedral.