MEMORANDUMOF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA AND THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSIONER TO THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS ON COOPERATION IN DIASPORA AFFAIRS ("Off. Herald of RS - Treaties", No. 1/2019) |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia and the Office of the Presidential Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus, hereinafter referred to as "the Participants",
- Welcoming the historically friendly relations between the Serbian and the Cypriot people and their strong cultural, religious and economic bonds;
- Cherishing the growing political cooperation and the increasingly closer, mutually beneficial, ties between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus;
- Affirming the friendly relations, mutual understanding and close cooperation between the Serbian and Cypriot Diaspora communities (hereinafter referred to as Communities) around the world, and guided by the common dedication allocated by the two Participants to their Communities;
- Confident about the benefits of the Communities combining their political influence as a means of better promoting national interests in foreign decision making centers and international organizations;
- Taking into consideration the significance of frequent joint deliberations and exchange of information on issues of mutual interest, between the two Communities and their advocacy organizations;
- Noting the existence of a vibrant Serbian community in Cyprus, who are a substantive component of the Cypriot society;
- Noting the consistent and principled position of the Government of the Republic of Serbia on the Cyprus problem and the respect to the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus;
- Noting the consistent and principled position of the Republic of Cyprus on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija and the need for respect to the territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia;
- Having regard to the Republic of Cyprus’s significant experience in the areas of cooperation and organization of the Cypriot community residing overseas;
Have reached the following understanding;
Paragraph 1
The Participants will, in cooperation with their Communities, encourage the establishment of mechanisms for the consultation and exchange of information on Diaspora affairs, as well as the exchange of annual visits of delegations to further strengthen cooperation in the said field.
Paragraph 2
The Participants will facilitate and accommodate joint educational schemes through their youth communities abroad with the aim of promoting peace, human rights, the rule of law and shared cultural values.
Paragraph 3
The Participants will encourage their Communities to influence, through joint advocacy action, to the greatest extent possible, the decision and policy making of competent agencies and governments abroad, regarding the Serbian and Cyprus national cause and interests.
Paragraph 4
The Participants will encourage the development of the cooperation of the respective advocacy groups in key decision making centers of other States, and promote the enhancement of the relations between the relevant Diaspora institutions of their States.
Paragraph 5
The Participants will, in the framework of their competences, facilitate the development of cooperation between the competent Parliamentary Committees of their States, which deal with Diaspora affairs.
Paragraph 6
The Participants will cooperate closely with their competent authorities in order to assist in developing communication among their Communities, to the greatest extent possible, with regard to foreign affairs priorities, by further developing links with media, think-tanks, NGOs abroad, civil society and people-to-people contacts.
Paragraph 7
The Participants will, in cooperation with their competent authorities, foster joint awareness initiatives and projects between academic institutions, libraries, art and cultural centers, media groups and think-tanks in the two States, which aim to promote universal values and Diaspora-related topics.
Paragraph 8
The Participants will be invited to take part in each other’s Diaspora affairs conferences, seminars, and round-tables to promote the exchange of best practices and know-how on Diaspora affairs.
Paragraph 9
The Participants will encourage the development of the relations between business associations and chambers of commerce of the Communities.
Paragraph 10
The Participants will promote the study of the literature and the historical and cultural heritage of each other’s State, to the greatest extent possible, and encourage the publication of related articles in their respective cultural, educational, scientific journals and Diaspora newspapers, both at home and abroad.
Paragraph 11
The Participants will actively support the joint efforts of their Communities to preserve and illustrate their national identity through cultural events and celebration of national holidays.
Paragraph 12
The provisions of this Memorandum will not affect the rights and obligations of the Participants deriving from any international Agreements.
Paragraph 13
This Memorandum of Understanding comes into effect on the date of its signature.
It may be amended or supplemented at any time by the mutual consent of the Participants in writing. This Memorandum will remain in effect for an indefinite period of time.
Done in Nicosia, on November 30th 2018, in two originals, each in English language, all texts having equal validity.
FOR THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA |
FOR THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSIONER TO THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS |