BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 11. Uzbekistan and Serbia have agreed to move toward signing an intergovernmental agreement on migration and mobility, potentially opening new channels for the organized employment of Uzbek workers in Serbia.
This was reflected in the statement by the Migration Agency of Uzbekistan, following a meeting between Muhsinkhoja Abdurakhmonov, director of Uzbekistan’s Migration Agency, and Milica Stamenkovski, Serbia’s minister of labor, employment, veterans and social policy.
The sides discussed preparations for signing the intergovernmental agreement, which is expected to establish a framework for cooperation on migration and labor mobility between the two countries.
Serbia also expressed interest in recruiting qualified specialists from Uzbekistan for construction projects related to EXPO 2027, which will be held in the country.
“The Serbian side expressed interest in attracting qualified specialists from Uzbekistan for the construction of EXPO 2027 facilities, with the sides discussing preliminary training and the placement of workers in jobs offering decent working conditions,” Uzbekistan’s Migration Agency said.
The discussions included the need to prepare Uzbek workers in advance in line with the requirements of Serbia’s labor market and ensure appropriate employment conditions.
The sides also discussed plans for Serbia to open an embassy in Uzbekistan. The move is expected to make visa procedures easier for Uzbek citizens, who currently process Serbian visa applications through Astana, Kazakhstan.
Following the meeting with Stamenkovski, Abdurakhmonov continued negotiations with Milan Bosnic, director of Serbia’s National Employment Service.
The two sides agreed that after the intergovernmental migration and mobility agreement is ratified, their respective agencies will sign a separate protocol on cooperation in labor migration and workforce mobility.
The protocol is expected to provide a more detailed framework for cooperation between the two employment and migration authorities, including mechanisms for organizing labor mobility.
The talks come as Uzbekistan and Serbia seek to strengthen practical bilateral cooperation following the elevation of relations between the two countries to a strategic partnership.
Labor mobility has emerged as one of the areas of cooperation, alongside trade, investment and other economic ties, with the planned agreement expected to provide a formal basis for expanding employment opportunities for Uzbek citizens in Serbia.
