Serbia - Canada relations

The legation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in Canada was opened on 30 May 1941, while the Consulate-General in Montreal was opened in 1922. The change of the rank of the mission to the level of Embassy was effected on 29 December 1951.

 

Economic Cooperation

 

Canada lifted most of economic/financial sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro, except those for Slobodan Milosevic and the prominent members of the former regime. With respect to the write-off of a part of the debt of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the Paris Club, Canada followed the position of the majority of the Club members on writing off 60 per cent of the debt and, on 20 August 2002, signed a bilateral agreement on writing off a part of the debt in the amount of CDN$250 million. Serbia and Montenegro retained the status of the most favored nation in trade with Canada. The volume of the trade exchange in 2004 amounted to about US$19.6 million, with Serbia and Montenegro’s export standing at US$5.05 million and import at US$14.56 million. In the first six months of 2005, Serbia and Montenegro’s export stood at US$3.04 million and import at US$120.95 million. Aggregate Canadian investment in Serbia and Montenegro in 2004 amounted to US$1 669 000, direct investment accounting for US$849 000 and the value of equipment for US$850 000.

Notwithstanding certain vacillation, the Canadian economy has shown interest in investing in Serbia and Montenegro, especially in telecommunications, energy, rail and air traffic and agriculture.

 

Visits of Government Officials

 

A large number of high-level bilateral visits took place after the democratic changes after October 2000:

· Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Manley visited the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in May 2001 and donated about US$220 000 to the Bujanovac municipality;

· A government/ business delegation of the Republic of Serbia, headed by Goran Pitic, Minister for International Economic Relations, paid a working visit to Canada in September 2001;

· Traffic and Telecommunications Minister of the Republic of Serbia Marija Raseta-Vukosavljevic visited Canada in April 2002;

· Return visit of Foreign Minister of Serbia and Montenegro Goran Svilanovic took place in May 2002;

· A parliamentary delegation, headed by Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House, visited the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in May 2002 at the invitation of the President of the Council of Citizens of the Federal Assembly of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, whereby parliamentary cooperation between the two countries was restored;

· A parliamentary delegation of the Assembly of Serbia, headed by its Vice-President Gordana Comic, visited Canada in June 2003 within the programme of NGO Parliamentary Centre which had a regional office in Belgrade;

· G. Matkovic, Minister for Social Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, visited Canada in October 2003 and participated at the International Conference on the education of parents;

· Return visit by a delegation of the Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro, headed by its President Dr Micunovic took place in February 2004;

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Deputy Minister for International Economic Relations of the Republic of Serbia visited Canada from 22 to 24 September 2004. On that occasion, they visited EDC, Ministry of External Trade and the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate (Ottawa); Canadian companies TIW and Bombardier (Montreal); and Canadians of Serbian extraction interested in investing in Serbia and Montenegro, Ontario provincial government officials (Ministry of Agriculture) and the representatives of Ontario Exports (Toronto).