Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has concluded a two-day visit to Serbia aimed at boosting political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries.
President Aliyev and his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic announced that a new strategic partnership between the two counties will result in concrete joint projects, such as the construction of highways, energy infrastructure and a railway through Serbia. Serbia has expressed interest in buying liquified gas from Azerbaijan.
On Thursday, the two leaders unveiled a monument to prominent Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad.
Mr. Aliyev Wednesday formally opened Azerbaijan's embassy in Belgrade, an event attended by the diplomatic corps. Mr. Tadic said the two countries support each other in international organizations and elsewhere because their territorial integrity has been violated. Mr. Aliyev expressed the position that no country can have its border changed without its consent.
Serbia's former province of Kosovo declared independence in 2008, which has been recognized by many countries including the United States. Azerbaijan is fighting independence moves by its Armenian-speaking enclave of Nagorno Karabakh.
Later Thursday, Mr. Aliyev began a two-day official visit to Slovenia at the invitation of Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk.
