The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia held a reception to mark the return of the diplomatic mission to Kyiv and the opening of new premises at 48 Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street. The event brought together diplomats, representatives of government agencies, business and academic circles of Ukraine.
During his speech, Serbian Ambassador to Ukraine Andon Sapundzi emphasized that the opening of the embassy symbolizes “Serbia’s return to Kyiv” and the resumption of active cooperation between the two countries.
“Our workspace is not yet complete, but I wanted to share this joy with you right now — Serbia is back!” he said, addressing the guests.
In his speech, the diplomat emphasized the deep historical ties between the Ukrainian and Serbian peoples. In particular, in the 18th century, more than 50,000 Serbs settled in the territory of modern Ukraine — near Bakhmut and in the Kirovohrad region, founding Slavianoserbia and New Serbia. At the same time, as early as the 17th century, Ukrainians migrated to Serbia, mainly to Vojvodina.
The ambassador also noted that since the start of the full-scale invasion, more than 100,000 Ukrainians have found refuge in Serbia, set up companies there, and their children have begun to learn Serbian.
Serbia provides humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including projects to build underground kindergartens near the front line, supplies equipment for energy infrastructure, and organizes educational programs for children from Sumy and Kharkiv.
Special mention was made of Serbian language teachers and students who maintained scientific and cultural ties between the countries even during the most difficult years of the war.
“We are here to live, work, and share everything with you, our dear Ukrainian friends,” the ambassador concluded his speech.
Ukraine and Serbia (then SFRY) established diplomatic relations on April 15, 1994. The Serbian Embassy in Kyiv began operating in 1995, but in 2022 it temporarily suspended its activities due to the security situation. In the fall of 2025, the diplomatic mission officially resumed its work in Kyiv at 48 Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street. The Ukrainian Embassy in Belgrade has been operating since 1995.
