Dear Ministers and representatives of State authorities,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with great pleasure that I officially welcome you to the celebration of the 1st of August, the Swiss National Day - a date that reverberates deeply within every Swiss heart. It was on this day, in 1291, that the rural communities of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden inscribed their names on a Federal Charter, heralding the birth of the Swiss Confederation. They pledged mutual support and vowed to protect their liberties—a pact that paved the way for the thriving and diverse Switzerland we cherish today.
A diplomatic National Day celebration is an opportunity to highlight the excellent bilateral relations with our host country. In this regard, I can confirm that the upward trend continues: we have been able to considerably increase the presence of Swiss companies in Serbia; bilateral trade is growing; and when it comes to the exchange of services, Switzerland has become the 4th most important partner of Serbia worldwide. Our well-established cooperation program has continued producing good results to our mutual satisfaction, be that with regard to establishing a dual vocational education system, supporting de-carbonization efforts and green energy initiatives, enhancing the efficiency and transparency of local administrations or fostering Serbia’s ambition in developing its innovative capacity.
The importance of nurturing the bonds of friendship between nations and of strengthening democratic institutions and the rule of law, including international law, has never been more evident than today, against the background of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. While upholding our permanent neutrality, my country has been clear that neutrality does not mean indifference, Switzerland has adopted the EU sanctions against Russia and is supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction, providing already now substantial aid, including by supporting the efforts to clear the large swaths of contaminated land from mines and other explosive remnants of war.
Friendly international relations cannot be reduced to abstract agreements nor expressed in simple economic figures. Behind those facts are the deeds and visions of people. Today, I want to pay tribute to a few remarkable individuals who embody the strong bonds existing between Switzerland and Serbia.
Let me start by honoring the memory of late artist Nikola Zarić, a renowned Swiss sculptor of Serbian origin, who spent his early years in Novi Sad and the major part of his life in Switzerland. His sculptures highlight our link with nature and the delicate balance between humans and animal life. He was very attached to Swiss mountains and some of his statues have been placed at an altitude of more than 3000 meters! It was thus a distinct pleasure for me to inaugurate the placement of one of his sculptures in Novi Sad’s Liman Park, in April this year. This was possible thanks to the support of the Mali Princ Foundation, whom I would like to express my gratitude once again.
Shifting from arts to science, I cannot help but mentioning Dr. Archibald Reiss, a renowned criminologist and forensic scientist from Switzerland, whose publications, as we recently heard, belong to the standard reading of the president of the Republic. It was his scientific mind that drove Archibald Reiss to accept the Kingdom of Serbia’s invitation, during World War I, to independently verify and document the war atrocities committed against the Serbian population in a rigorous and objective way. The profound emotional connection with the Serbian people that he developed, inspired him to spend the latter part of his life here in this country, contributing to the scientific and political development of the nascent Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
A century later, the scientific cooperation between Switzerland and Serbia is thriving, as can be seen by the organization of the Large Hadron Collider Physics Conference in Belgrade in May this year, co-organized by the Faculty of Physics of the University of Belgrade and CERN, the famous nuclear research center sitting astride the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva. Isn’t there any better recognition of the high standard of scientific research in Serbia? Just a couple of days ago, the company “Swiss Rockets”, a startup incubator focused on biotech companies, has signed an MoU with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to set up an innovation center for nuclear medicine within the BIO4 campus, thus combining Serbia’s and Switzerland’s strengths in innovation. The CEO of Swiss Rockets, Mr. Vladimir Cmiljanovic, is a good example of the important role of Serbian diaspora in Switzerland in developing further our bilateral relations.
Finally, shifting to economy, I could mention several hundred Swiss companies in Serbia, but today I want to highlight one of them, for the example it is setting in the area of dual vocational education. “Standard Furniture” in Cuprija is now employing 32 apprentices, within the dual education program, being introduced in Serbia based on the Swiss model. The president of Standard Furniture, Mr. Edin Dacic, has been a strong proponent of dual vocational education, having seen its advantages and potential in Switzerland. Apprenticeships at Standard Furniture are what we could call the “golden standard” in dual education. Young people, both boys and girls, spend as much as 60% of their vocational education in the company. Switzerland is committed to supporting Serbia to introducing the increased involvement of companies into dual education, enabling young people to integrate more effectively into the labor market.
There are of course many more such examples of individual commitments, and I would like to thank all of you who contribute fostering the strong bonds between Switzerland and Serbia on a daily basis.
It is now time for all of us to enjoy the party and I would like to express my gratitude to the Swiss companies who have generously supported tonight’s reception: Serbia Prime Site One, Stadler Rail, MRG Export-Import, Roche, Sky Express, SGS Beograd, Barry Callebaut, Absolut Time, Dufry, Nestlé, Froneri, SF1 Group, Pruna, Basna, and Sika.
Of course, a party is only as good as the people who attend – in that sense: thank you for your presence tonight and for celebrating the Swiss national day with us.
Živela Srbija, long live Switzerland!
