The Embassy of Serbia in Ukraine has resumed work in Kyiv and held a reception

The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia held a reception on the occasion of the return of the diplomatic mission to Kyiv and the opening of new premises at 48 Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Street. The event brought together diplomats, representatives of government bodies, business and academic circles of Ukraine.

In his speech, the Ambassador of Serbia to Ukraine, Andon Sapundzhi, stressed 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 finished, but I wanted to share this joy with you right now — Serbia is back! Serbia has returned!” he said, addressing the guests.

In his address, 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 on the territory of present-day Ukraine — near Bakhmut and in the Kirovohrad region — founding Slavo-Serbia and New Serbia. At the same time, as early as the 17th century, Ukrainians had moved 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 studying in Serbian.

Serbia provides humanitarian aid to Ukraine — in particular, it is carrying out projects to build underground kindergartens near the front line, supplying equipment for energy infrastructure, and organizing educational programs for children from Sumy and Kharkiv.

Special recognition was given to the lecturers and students of Serbian studies, who preserved scientific and cultural ties between the two countries even during the hardest years of the war.

“We are here to live, to work and to share everything together with you, our dear Ukrainian friends,” the ambassador concluded his speech.

Ukraine and Serbia (then the SFRY) established diplomatic relations on April 15, 1994. The Embassy of Serbia in Kyiv began operating in 1995 but temporarily suspended its activities in 2022 because of the security situation. In autumn 2025, the diplomatic mission officially resumed work in Kyiv at 48 Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Street. The Embassy of Ukraine in Belgrade has been operating since 1995.