Today, I engaged on behalf of Botswana with the Minister of Culture in Serbia, the Honourable Nikola Selakoviฤ. The country is internationally renowned for its rich cultural heritage, historic landmarks and vibrant artistic expression. The engagement is part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen our cooperation with the Republic of Serbia, particularly in the area of sport and arts.
As a Ministry, we are currently positioning the arts and creative sectors as strategic sectors for economic diversification and employment creation. It is therefore critical for us to continue to learn from our friends that have achieved some success in these areas, Serbia remains the foremost among such friends.
During our engagement, we agreed on the preparation of a framework agreement in the field of culture, which will provide new impetus for the further strengthening of relations between Botswana and Serbia. Our discussions placed particular emphasis on interinstitutional cooperation, expert exchange in the field of contemporary creativity, as well as the protection and preservation of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Minister Selakoviฤ was also kind enough to invite us, as Botswana, to the Afro Festival to be held in the near future here in Serbia. We also discussed joint activities of our two countries within international organizations, primarily within UNESCO, with the aim of advancing our common interests in the fields of culture and the arts. We also discussed possible cooperation with the Museum of African Art in Belgrade, the first and only museum in the region exclusively dedicated to the cultures and arts of the African continent, and one that is anti-colonial in its very nature. Digital exhibitions in both countries where also identified as a possible area where we can collaborate. Furthermore, we are also looking forward to the participation of Botswana at the 2027 Expo to be held in Belgrade where we are expecting significant participation by our creatives.
We remain most grateful for the generosity and support of the Serbian government in facilitating this important visit.
#sportandarts
#culturediplomacy
#botswanaserbia