Russian and U.S. envoys comment on OSCE role

Russian and U.S. envoys comment on OSCE role

It will be "a great challenge for Serbia, but also an opportunity to demonstrate that it has the capacity for great deeds," Aleksandr Chepurin and Michael Kirby said.

According to Chepurin, Russia expects Serbia to demonstrate professionalism, objectivity, flexibility and consistency in carrying out this role, and be guided by the fundamental principles and norms.

"For Serbia, it is not only a challenge but also a real opportunity to show everything positive that it has. We treat the Serbian foreign policy with respect, because it is a thought-out and balanced policy that we also had the opportunity to witness in relation to the non-legal measures, which are sometimes mistakenly called sanctions against Russia," said the Russian ambassador.

He stated that the chairmanship of the OSCE is very important for Serbia, the Serbian leadership and the Serbian foreign policy service, that will have a chance to demonstrate its professionalism and "best virtues."

Kirby said that the chairmanship will be "a great opportunity for Serbia to prove that it belongs among serious players," while "Belgrade has shown it is seriously preparing to do a good job."

"Frankly, some years ago no one you would have entrusted you with such an important job, and now you have the head of the second largest party, the person who was the prime minister, with a lot of experience in various governments, who talks with foreign ministers and others on how Serbia can positively contribute to solving serious problems," said Kirby.

The U.S. diplomat added said that Serbia works closely with the previous chair Switzerland, "and will continue to cooperate with this country and Germany." The latter will take over the OSCE chairmanship after Serbia, in 2016.

"It will not be easy, but, on the other hand, I think it is good for Serbia to prove that it belongs to the group of serious players," said he.

When it comes to Ukraine, Kirby expects Serbian chairmanship to be "ransparent, impartial and fair and beneficial to the organization," and to, thanks to the traditionally good relations between Belgrade and Moscow, "open up new opportunities for finding effective ways to deescalate the conflict."

The first secretary of the Ukrainian embassy in Belgrade Mikolai Dyugun also spoke for Tanjug and quoted a recent statement made by Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic that Serbia "will not cheer for anyone and will be faithful to the principles of the organization" - something he said Ukraine "strongly supports and appreciates."

Serbia's greatest challenge in mediating in seeking solutions to the conflict will be the completely different interpretations of Kiev and Moscow of what is happening on the ground in southeastern Ukraine, Tanjug said in its analysis.

While Moscow argues there is an ongoing attempt to force the removal of the legal local authorities there, Kiev, which has the support of western countries, claims that "terrorists" have usurped power in the region, and that Russia provides them with manpower and weapons.

Russia insists that peace negotiations should be conducted between representatives of the Kiev authorities with the authorities in Donetsk and Lugansk, because the conflict is a civil war, while Kiev maintains its thesis that the war is in fact a Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Although both Ukraine and Russia, as well as other countries, agree that the path to the conflict resolution leads through the implementation of the September agreement reached in Minsk, the second round of talks Contact Group held on December 24 did not bring any progress in the negotiations. Beside a deal to exchange prisoners, there was no agreement on any other issue.

Serbia's "difficult and thankless" role means that if the country were able to predict the crisis, "it would probably have thought twice before applying for the OSCE chairmanship," Kirby remarked.

Another task ahead of Serbia, Tanjug said, is to strengthen the fundamental role of the OSCE and to modernize the way the organization operates in a year that marks the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act.