Press Release

Bozovic visits the consulates of Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Italy

New York, January 25th, 2024

This Wednesday, the Consul General of the Republic of Serbia in New York, Vladimir Bozovic, made his first official visits to the consulates of Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Italy in New York.

Luisa Pais Lowe, the Consul General of Portugal in New York, briefed Bozovic on her previous diplomatic experience in the Balkans and praised the tradition of Serbian diplomacy, stating that she believes the Republic of Serbia has had excellent diplomatic representatives throughout history. Bozovic told Pais Lowe about his stays in Portugal, which were related to participation in numerous high-level conferences, and expressed his admiration for fado music and Portuguese culture. The two then discussed both the ways in which Serbian and Portuguese traditions are presented in New York and the possibilities for closer collaboration between the two consulates in the near future.

During the conversation with the Consul General of the Czech Republic, Arnost Kares, Bozovic and his Czech colleague exchanged views on recent global events and concluded that the past decades have brought Serbian and Czech people closer in many aspects. Both nations fought for democracy, independence, and the preservation of identity during years when this was a challenging task in different regions of Europe. Bozovic particularly praised the fantastic neighborly relations between the Czech Republic and Slovakia, stating that they serve as an excellent example for others on how two societies can continue to coexist beautifully and functionally as neighbors after the dissolution of a former common state. Kares informed Bozovic that his country is celebrating 25 years of NATO membership this year, which is one of the important circumstances receiving attention. Bozovic mentioned to Kares that EU membership and strategic political and economic partnerships with the U.S. are now priorities for the Republic of Serbia in international relations.

At the end of the day, the Consul General of the Republic of Serbia met with his Italian counterpart in New York, Fabrizio Di Michele, with whom he discussed the priorities of his mandate in New York. Being a consul who has been living and working in New York for several years, Di Michele assured him of his support. The Consul General of Italy invited Bozovic to attend the "Giorno della Memoria" ceremony next Monday, dedicated to the memory of members of the Jewish people who were deported from Italy and other territories under Italian command during the tumult of conflict in World War II. This ceremony is traditionally held every year in front of the Consulate General of Italy in New York. Bozovic gladly accepted the invitation and informed Di Michele about his close relationships with numerous friends and family members who are professionally and personally connected to Italy.

To all the colleagues he visited, Bozovic presented gifts from the Republic of Serbia – Serbian Chardonnay and a book about the great scientist Mihajlo Pupin. At the end of the day, he concluded that fantastic collaboration can be achieved with the consulates of Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Italy. These are three states with which the Republic of Serbia has good relations at the highest level. He emphasized the significance of having all three colleagues with extraordinary, longstanding experience in diplomacy, both in New York and in duties worldwide.

For media inquiries, please contact:

(Marija Nikolic, +1 212 596-4241, officecgnyc@mfa.rs)