The General Consulate of Serbia in Miami could open as early as this fall, reflecting improved and ambitious Serbian-American relations and the needs of the Serbian diaspora, stated Dušan Kozarev, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, today.
He emphasized that the procedure is underway, as is the establishment of a direct air route between Belgrade and Miami.
The direct flight to Miami will be Air Serbia’s third route to cities in the USA – in addition to New York and Chicago, Kozarev reminded in a statement to Tanjug.
“We hope it will happen soon, perhaps not with the winter timetable, which is relatively close, but it’s not impossible from March when the summer timetable takes effect,” said Kozarev, adding that it’s a matter of technical and logistical reasons.
He highlighted that the Serbian diaspora in Florida eagerly awaits not only this airline route but also the opening of the consulate. “We are pleased to have had the opportunity to speak with officials from Miami Airport, with representatives of Air Serbia, and with our diaspora in Florida, who eagerly anticipate not only this airline but also the announced opening of the General Consulate, which would likely cover not only Florida but also a number of US federal states gravitating towards that area, where we have a traditionally present and significant diaspora population,” Kozarev stated.
He emphasized that these are potentially good news for which procedures are ongoing.
“We have already initiated all official mechanisms, and what is now needed for this to materialize are approvals from the relevant structures in the USA. It’s a matter of days, and we expect that with this airline and the opening of the General Consulate, our network in the USA will expand and reflect both our relations and the needs of our citizens living in that area,” Kozarev said.
He stressed that, once approvals from official institutions are received, it will take a few more months for internal preparations to open the General Consulate.
“In the most optimistic scenario, if we receive the host country’s consent tomorrow, we can already count on the opening of new General Consulates in the USA and the expansion of our diplomatic and consular network worldwide starting this fall,” Kozarev stated.
In the USA, Serbia currently has an embassy in Washington D.C., a Permanent Mission to the United Nations, and two General Consulates in Chicago and New York, as well as a consulate attached to the Embassy in Washington.
Source: Politika Photo: Air Serbia
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