It may be said that the foundation of the Serbian Chemical Society originated from the co-operation with chemical organizations in the world.  Keeping in mind that the chemists in Serbia who founded the Society had finished their studies mainly in European countries, they had close contacts both with the chemists of that time and with the few chemical societies existing in Europe.  The immediate cause for founding the Society, as stated at the beginning of this booklet, was a letter of the Ill International Congress for Applied Chemistry, addressed to Prof.  Marko T. Leko in 1897, in which Serbian chemists were asked to participate in its work in Vienna in 1898.  Co-operation with the Congress was continued and the Society took part in the activity of the VI International Congress for Applied Chemistry held in Rome in 1906.  From the minutes of these conferences it can be seen that the Society had friendly contacts with Greek, Czech, French and German chemists.  In the minutes from the 17th meeting of the Society held on March 27th, 1899, we can come across the interesting fact that the Society had sent Mr. A. Rodrian in Heidelberg the sum of 20 dinars in gold and 87 dinars in silver, that is, 80.10 DM as a contribution from its members "in the memory of the famous Prof. Victor Meyer, as a sign of deep respect." In the minutes from the 37th meeting held on November 28th, 1901, one finds that the Society sent a cheque of 60 dinars in gold to Paris, to the Celebration Committee of Berthelot's 50th anniversary, as its contribution "for supplying the medal which at a formal meeting, presided by the President of the French Republic, had been given to the honored scientist the same year." Apart from that, on the very day of the celebration a cable with congratulations was sent by the Serbian chemists.

In the period till the war of 1941 international co-operation was carried out mainly by personal connections of members of the Society with their professors and colleagues at well-known European universities and schools.  As many members of the Society had taken their degrees (including doctorates) abroad, those connections were numerous and successful.  They continued throughout the later period of the Society's work, even today, but now they include co-operation with overseas countries, predominantly North America, and they are very valuable to the Society and chemistry in Serbia.
In 1946 the Society undertook steps to join the membership of the International Union of Chemistry.  After 1950, beside direct co-operation, the Society continued co-operating with foreign countries to a considerable extent through the newly formed Union of Chemical Societies of Yugoslavia and through this organization Yugoslavia became a member of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and of the Federation of European Chemical Societies (FECS).
International contacts of the Society were also realized by exchanging journals, organizing international scientific meetings, inviting foreign lecturers, by having members of the Society participate in the activities of the permanent conference of IUPAC and the work of its commissions and committees, as well as by the Society's representatives attending various international meetings.  Thus, the representatives of the Society participated in the celebration of the 75th anniversary jubilee of the American Chemical Society, the 100th anniversary of the German Chemical Society and the 75th anniversary of the Swiss Chemical Society, presenting them with congratulations and charters of the Serbian Chemical Society.  On the other hand, the 75th anniversary celebration of the Serbian Chemical Society was attended by the Presidents - representatives of the
IUPAC Scientific-Technical Council,
the Chemical Industry of Bulgaria,
the French Chemical Society,
the Royal Chemical-deal Society from London,
the Hungarian Chemical Society,
the Slovak Chemical Society,
the Czech Chemical Society,
the Swiss Chemical Society and
the American Chemical Society,
as well as other chemical societies related to societies in former Yugoslavia.
On that occasion charters were sent by the chemical societies of Germany and Finland.
In the name of the Union of Chemical Societies of Yugoslavia, the Serbian Chemical Society organized the 8th International Meeting of the Presidents of Chemical Societies of the World, in Belgrade, on September 11-12, 1981.  The meeting, proved to be exceptionally successful and was attended by the Presidents or representatives of the chemical societies of Greece, Poland, Turkey, Bulgaria, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, Australia, Iraq, Singapore, Hungary, Great Britain, Austria, the USA, Norway, Finland, Thailand, Brazil, Canada, Japan, India, Portugal, Sweden, China, Cyprus, as well as the representative of IUPAC and representatives of related chemical societies of the countries of former Yugoslavia.
Guests of the Society have been numerous chemists the names of which are world known.  They delivered lectures at plenary meetings of the Society or at scientific meetings organized by the Society.  Many of them are Nobel prize winners, and they all were, or are, good friends of the Society.  It is not possible to quote all the names here, but it is also difficult not to mention some of them.
Nobel prize winners:
D. H. R. Barton, H. C. Brown, P. J. Flory, J. M. Lehn, N. Mott, V. Prelog, L. Ruzicka, N. N. Semjonov, K. Ziegler.
Distinguished Chemists:
R. Albrecht, N.L. Allinger, A. Arvia, V.S. Bagotskii, W. Barnikol, A.R. Battersby, A. Bewick, J.H. Beynon, J.O'M. Bockris, B. Bogdanovic, J.C. Brosse, E. Budevski, H.J. Canton, A.Challis, G. Champetier, R.A. Chivers, F. Ciardelli, L. Cieresko, B.E. Conway, S.J. Cyvin, R.R. Dogonadze, V.A. Dreval, K. Dusek, L.Eberson, J.Economy, M. Enyo, I. Epelboin, A. Eschenmoser, J.D. Ferry, V.Yu. Filinovskii, D. Fles, M. Fleischmann, M. Frazer, A.N. Frumkin, J. Furukava, P. Gallone, P.G. Gasman, L. Ghosez, B. Giese, E. Gileadi, G. Glockner, C.A. Grob, S. Gronowitz, D. Hadzi, A. Hamelin, G. Hammond, M. Hanack, G. Hills, J. Horak, A.T. Hubbard, N. Ibl, Z. Jedlinski, H. Jellinek, V.E. Kazarinov, A.J. Kirby, J.M. Kolotirkin, R. Koninasveld, N. Kostic, L.I. Krishtalik, S.G. Kulichikhin, M.D. Lechner, R.W. Lenz, 0. Levenspiel, V.G. Levich, G. Lowe, G. Luft, W.J. MacKnight, S. Macura, A.Ya. Malkin, M.I. McGIashan, J. Meissner, S. Middleman, M. Miljkovic, H.J. Neumann, J. Newman, W.E. O'Grady, G. Ohloff, W.D. Ollis, G. Ourisson, J.A. Ovchinikov, Ch.  Overberger, V.P. Parkhutik, R. Parry, R. Parsons, G. Pezzin, D.M. Piatak, Yu.V. Pleskov, E. Plsko, S. Popov, A. Porter, R.S. Porter, E. Pungor, M. Radulovacki, Ch.W. Rees, H. Ringsdorf, M. Rogic, I. Rousar, S. Russo, A. Salkind, K. Schaffner, P.V.R. Schleyer, U. Schmidt, W. Schnabel, G.V. Schulz, J.W. Schultze, K. Schwabe, U. Schwake, E.D. Shchukin, E. Seymour, V.J. Shiner, N.A. Shumilova, M.G. Simic, G. Snatzke, I. Shopov, A. Spackova, N. Spassky, G. Spiteller, B. Stanovnik, Cs.  Szantay, Ch.  Tamm, M.R. Tarasevich, M. Tisler, Ch.  Tobias, I.V. Torgov, S. Trasatti, B.M. Trost, C.G. Vayenas, W. Vielstich, 0. Vogl, E. Wenkert, F. Westheimer, G. Wilke, I. Wilner, K. Wlesener, B.A. Wolf, J. Wotiz, H. Wroblowa, E. Yeager, M.R. Zentner and A. Zezin.

The Society has attempted to express, at least in some way, its gratitude and acknowledgment to its friends - chemists from all over the world.  So article 18 of the rules on prizes and public recognition of the Serbian Chemical Society reads: "Outstanding scientific workers from abroad, who have made, by their long activity, a significant influence upon the development of certain scientific fields in our country can be appointed Honorary Members of the Serbian Chemical Society. This is especially reflected in their participation in scientific meetings and delivering lectures, the co-operation with our scientists in joint projects, the contribution to the education of our scientists through graduate studies, doctoral degrees and visits to their institutes."

On the basis of this article the following Honorary Members of the Serbian Chemical Society have been appointed so far:
Lavoslav Ruzicka (Switzerland);
Grigorij Valentinovich Samsonov (Russia);
Vladimir Prelog (Switzerland);
Tibor Torek (Hungary);
Jurij Ovchinikov (Russia);
Norman Allinger (USA);
Emest Wenkert (USA);
Graham Hills (Great Britain);
John O'Mara Bockris (USA);
John Beynon (Great Britain);
Derek H.R. Barton (Great Britain);
Ernest Yeager (USA);
Hans-Joachim Neumann (Germany);
Eduard Plsko (Slovakia);
Georgi Bliznakov (Bulgaria);
Andre Ambles (France);
Eberhard Schurmann (Germany)

Co-operation with the world is also reflected in the fact that the scientific publication of the Society, Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society, has on its Editorial Board members from abroad:
J. O'M. Bockris, Texas A & M Univ., (USA),
K. Bowden, Univ. of Essex (UK),
G. Eglinton, FRS, Univ. of Bristol (UK),
A. R. Katritzky, FRS, Univ. of Florida (USA),
Ya. I. Korenman, Voronezh Acad. of Technol. (Russian Federation),
M. D. Lechner, Univ. Osnabriick (D),
H. J. Neumann, German Petrol. Inst. (D),
H. Palmour, North Carolina St. Univ. (USA),
G. Petzow, Max-Planck Inst., Stuttgart (D),
R. M. Spriggs, Alfred Univ. (USA),
E. Wenkert, Univ. of California, San Diego (USA),
E. Yeager, Case Western Reserve Univ. (USA).

The last five years the Serbian Chemical Society has been active in realizing an organized co-operation with the chemical societies from South-eastern Europe. This co-operation includes, apart from the Serbian Chemical Society, chemical societies from Albania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Greece, Cyprus and Romania.  The first activities involve scientific and technical meetings. Thus, in Thessalonika, on June 1-4, 1998, the First International Conference of the Chemical Societies of South-eastern European Countries on Chemical Science and Industry was organozed.