Serbia Special Adviser to the Minister Vladimir Cizelj (left) and House of Delegates Speaker Sabino Anastacio (right) during the culmination of the 19th Micronesia Presidents’ Summit at the Ngarachamayong Cultural Center in Palau on February 21. (Rhealyn C. Pojas)
Koror/Island Times – Serbia, Palau’s newest diplomatic ally, will be providing scholarships for Palauans and will engage in sports development program cooperations with the island nation.
Serbia Special Adviser to the Minister Vladimir Cizelj, during the sidelines of the 19th Micronesia Presidents’ Summit in Palau on February 21, told Island Times that Serbia will offer various scholarships and will send coaches who will help train local athletes in Basketball and other sports here.
Special Adviser Cizelj also revealed that Palau have agreed to send young athletes to Serbia for trainings.
“[President Tommy Remengesau, Jr.] visited Serbia recently and we agreed to open cooperation and this cooperation will go to different direction. One is for sports, agriculture, and others will be diplomatic and political cooperations,” Cizelj said.
Cizelj was in Palau on February 20-21 to represent Serbia as guest for the summit. The event was participated by Pacific leaders from Nauru, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau. Top diplomats from the United States, Japan, and Australia also participated in the summit.
“We are in the process of reviving and re-establishing cooperations so I have a good discussion with few leaders who are here,” Cizelj shared.
Cizelj, who visited Palau for the first time, expressed appreciation of Palau as a tourist destination.
“Pity that we did not know each other earlier and I’m sure that many people from my country will come to visit Palau and I hope and believe that some people of Palau will also come to [Serbia],” Cizelj said.
Palau had just forged diplomatic relationship with Serbia last January after pulling out its recognition of Kosovo as an independent state.
Serbia and Kosovo have a long-standing territorial dispute, with the former considering the latter as a breakaway province. Palau previously expressed its interest to support the outcome of dialogues to determine the status between the two entities. (Rhealyn C. Pojas)