MAYOR ĐURIĆ WITH THE AMBASSADOR OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

Milan Đurić, the Mayor of Novi Sad, met in the City Hall with H.E. Edward Ferguson, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Serbia. On his first official visit, the Mayor greeted him a warm welcome and emphasized that he hoped his stay in Novi Sad would be pleasant.

In furtherance of expressing gratitude for the hospitality, Ambassador Ferguson mentioned that the City and the Embassy could collaborate on a number of projects and areas in the future. These opportunities could be realized while maintaining positive relations, and they could be particularly broad in the areas of culture, tourism, and the economy.

The topic of British visitors visiting Novi Sad in summer, mostly to attend the EXIT festival, which is synonymous with Serbia and Novi Sad, was also discussed at the meeting.

As Mayor Đurić spoke about the twin cities of Novi Sad, he brought up the fact that the City of Norwich was among the first to sign the 1989 Charter on Twinning. He stressed the fact that the partnership is going successfully and how the Beckley couple, who are honorary citizens of Novi Sad, have been bringing people from the two nations together for many years through their humanitarian work.

The interlocutors expressed their belief that there is an opportunity to strengthen the partnership in numerous areas, such as the IT sector, economy, and education. Ambassador Ferguson said that he will visit the Faculty of Technical Sciences and the Chamber of Commerce of Vojvodina during the day. In this context, he stated that trade between Serbia and the UK surpassed one billion pounds annually for the first time, and that Novi Sad-based businesses, particularly those in the IT and service industries—where the UK is Serbia's third-largest partner—should take a large portion of the credit for this achievement.

They also mentioned cultural cooperation, mentioning that three years prior, information on British scholarship grants was provided, and an exhibition about British pop culture, cinematography, and athletics was staged in the Novi Sad "Svilara" Cultural Station. Both the Mayor and the Ambassador felt that this area offered the most opportunity for collaboration and that cultural exchanges provide a solid foundation for fostering and expanding amicable relations between the two nations on all fronts.

Novi Sad, 20th February 2024