Serbia plans to open an embassy, a move that could significantly simplify visa procedures for its citizens, the Migration Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers said.
Currently, visa procedures for its citizens are handled through Astana, Kazakhstan.
Migration Agency Director Mukhsinkhoja Abdurakhmonov and Serbian Minister of Labor, Employment, Veterans' Affairs and Social Policy Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski also agreed during talks to draft an intergovernmental agreement on migration and labor mobility.
The two sides discussed preliminary workforce training and subsequent employment in jobs with decent working conditions.
Đurđević Stamenkovski described the labor mobility and migration agreement as historic.
"This is the first agreement of its kind between Serbia and a foreign country, and it reflects our intention to build a strategic partnership. The document provides systemic guarantees for Uzbek nationals working in Serbia — they will have exactly the same rights as local workers," the minister said.
She stressed that Serbia has strong demand for Uzbek specialists. According to her, the minimum wage in Serbia will be 600 euros starting in early 2027 and is expected to reach 650 euros by year's end.
The Serbian side expressed interest in bringing in qualified Uzbek specialists to help build facilities for Expo 2027, the international exhibition to be held in Belgrade.
To put the agreement into practice, the Migration Agency is holding direct talks with Serbian enterprises facing labor shortages.
Talks also continued with Milan Bosnić, director of Serbia's National Employment Service. Following ratification of the intergovernmental agreement, the two sides intend to sign a separate protocol on cooperation in labor migration and workforce mobility.
Earlier during the visit, the two sides announced plans to launch direct flights between Tashkent and Belgrade within seven to eight months. A separate diplomatic mission will also open in Belgrade ahead of the establishment of a full embassy.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called on Serbian companies to move beyond trade toward localizing production and technology transfer, naming auto components, electrical engineering, pharmaceuticals, textiles, agricultural projects and IT among the priorities. Talks with Serbian companies are already underway in several of these areas.
Vučić has previously said Serbia is ready to cooperate on defense industry projects, including long-range ballistic missiles, which Belgrade expects to begin producing within about a year.
The Serbian president also described a conversation with Mirziyoyev on nuclear energy, saying one nuclear power plant is being built with Russia and a second is being prepared with China. Tashkent had previously confirmed plans for a second plant without officially naming the partner.
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