Serbian Prime Minister Djuro Macut has stressed the importance of people-to-people exchanges between Serbia and China, noting that engaging with young students in Shanghai provided a fresh perspective on the enduring bonds and future cooperation between the two countries.

Macut paid a visit to Shanghai Jiao Tong University and delivered a speech to faculty and students in early November before attending the eighth China International Import Expo in Shanghai. More than 100 students from diverse academic backgrounds came to the event at the university's Xuhui Campus.

In an interview with China Media Group aired Friday, the prime minister recalled his visit to the university, seeing it as a valuable opportunity for mutual learning and strengthening relations.

"I gave a nice presentation on the university here in Shanghai. It was really a pleasure to be in a campus, in the center of town, in a beautiful surrounding. So, it was a really nice feeling to be there and to talk with young people and to exchange some ideas because they are really involved into the politics, but into understanding of the current situation of the momentum in the world. So, the questions that they rise are really, very relevant. We have also some Serbian students that were attending and they were now the alumnus of the university," said Macut.

"This is really giving me another perspective that the bonds, that the relations and the bonds are really lasting, so that we have another a level of communication and cooperation that could be developed in future. So, this is education. Actually, this is something in education because we can also learn a lot from you and your view on the world and in the social sciences or something. But we can also give some additional values to you, to your students and young people that could come, also to Serbia for the exchange and to study. I think we are connected with direct flights, and it's not so complicated to come to Serbia," he said.

Macut also observed a rising enthusiasm among Serbians for learning Chinese.

"Even my daughter, she mentions from time to time Chinese language. She realized that maybe Chinese could be an opportunity to learn. So, this is the conclusion from the young generation. So, they realize that China is offering an additional value to them for their futures. So, this is my conclusion after coming to shanghai," said Macut.