President Vucic meets the representatives of the World Jewish Congress

President Vučić emphasised the importance of activities of the World Jewish Congress which - as an international federation of Jewish communities and organisations - fights for the rights of Jews across the world. He said that Serbia admires the Jewish community and respects its rights, as both Serbs and Jews have been sharing a tragic destiny throughout history, and especially during the Second World War. President Vučić noted that Serbia is the first country in the region and beyond which passed the special Law on Restitution of the property of the Holocaust victims without the living legal successors.

 

The Interim CEO of the World Jewish Congress, Maram Stern, said that the passing of such law represents a huge step and that with that respect they mark Serbia as an example for the whole world. He pointed out that they appreciate and support President Vučić and the Serbian authorities very much for all they did for the position of Jews as well as for the good relations between Serbia and Israel.

 

The two interlocutors agreed that there is no antisemitism in Serbia, and President Vučić added that Serbia condemns any form of antisemitism. He also emphasised that Serbia has friendly relations and comprehensive cooperation with Israel, which were confirmed again last year during the visit of President Rivlin.

 

The talks highlighted the importance of dignified marking of the place of suffering of a large number of victims at the place of the former concentration camp in Staro Sajmište, where the Memorial Centre will be built with the same name. President Vučić conveyed his dissatisfaction with the slow realisation of the project and expressed his hope that mistakes of the representatives of Serbia will be rectified and that the Memorial Centre project will be completed at a faster pace.

 

The Interim CEO Stern invited President Vučić - in addition to the commemoration of the Remembrance Day of Holocaust to be marked in Yad Vashem - to attend in January the ceremony in Auschwitz to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the camp liberation. 

 

The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador of the United States of America Kyle Scott and the Ambassador of the State of Israel Alona Fisher-Kamm.

 

 

VIDEO MATERIALS CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM THE FTP SERVER OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE.

 

Belgrade,

3rd September 2019