Priorities of Serbian OSCE chairmanship presented

Priorities of Serbian OSCE chairmanship presented

Lessons from the past show that sustainable solutions can only be achieved through dialogue, Dačić said while presenting the priorities of Serbia's OSCE chairmanship in 2015.

He recalled that two years before, Switzerland and Serbia had decided to do something unique – take up a two-year consecutive chairmanship as a joint response to challenges facing the OSCE.

Dačić stressed that during the Serbian chairmanship, special attention would be devoted to the Western Balkans as a region that had faced a lot of problems and suffering in the past.

The situation has changed considerably, but further efforts are needed to enhance stability, Dačić said, adding that regional reconciliation would be a major priority.

He said that today, Serbia and other countries in the region were committed to accelerating the process of European integration and regional cooperation.

Touching on the role of the OSCE, the Serbian foreign minister especially praised the engagement of the organization's mission in Kosovo.

During its chairmanship, Serbia will cooperate closely with Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Western Balkans, Ambassador Gerard Stoudmann, and also continue activities started by Switzerland, Dačić said.

He also stated that Serbia would make efforts to ensure that a high-level conference on illegal immigration, planned to be organized by Switzerland in cooperation with Southeast European countries, be held the following year.

Given the improvements concerning the situation in the region, we are confident that there are opportunities for horizontal cooperation between the OSCE missions on the ground, Dačić said, announcing that, as future chairman-in-office, he planned to visit all of the OSCE missions on the ground, including the one in Kosovo.

He stressed that the lessons Serbia had learnt in recent past could be useful for other regions and Serbia stood ready to share its experience with others.

Dačić noted that the current crisis in Ukraine could have an impact on frozen conflicts, which is why he would make additional efforts to ensure regular sessions in the already present dialogue formats be held during Serbia's presidency.

Dačić said that the responsibility rested on the sides involved in the conflict, but he also expressed certainty that small, but still tangible, steps could contribute to an increased trust between them.

The experience of the Western Balkans shows that tangible and sustainable solutions can only be reached through dialogue and real political measures, Dačić said and added that for that very reason, Serbia would focus more on the OSCE mediation efforts.

The Serbian foreign minister noted that in 2014, the organisation had faced one of the most intense crises in its history, which demonstrated the importance of the OSCE.

Dačić stated that the OSCE's decision to send a special monitoring mission to Ukraine had helped de-escalate the situation.

Despite the incidents with mission members taken hostage, the presence of the OSCE staff on the ground is very important at this point, Dačić said, stressing that Serbia supported the efforts of the mission in Ukraine and advocated for extension of its mandate without delays.

Serbia supports all the activities aimed at restoring peace and ending conflicts. Without this, an inclusive national dialogue to facilitate stabilization cannot be established, Dačić said.

He said that 2015 year would mark the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Helsinki Charter which, together with the UN Charter, might well be the most important document in modern history.

Dačić expressed the hope that the anniversary would be used as an opportunity for OSCE reformation through the Helsinki +40 Process.

"Enthusiastic"

Ivica Dačić stated on Tuesday that Serbia is an enthusiastic advocate of increased OSCE presence in Ukraine, and added that it will invest all possible efforts when it assumes the presidency in the organization with a view to intensifying the activities in the field, in cooperation with Kiev and all other participants.

Drawing on our own experience, we want to underscore that OSCE presence in the field bears exceptional importance, with a precious potential to provide assistance to the countries participating in the fulfillment of obligations they agreed to take on, Dačić said during the session of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna.

Presenting the priorities of the Serbia's OSCE presidency in 2015, Dačić said that Serbia believes it has various projects at its disposal and that it would be useful to discuss all possibilities to expand the framework of OSCE activities.

I want to underscore that as the OSCE chair, I will continue investing intense efforts to this end together with my team, as the Switzerland is doing during its mandate right now, in a balanced way and in close cooperation with Ukraine and all interested sides, Dačić said.

The minister noted that despite numerous problems, the decision to send a Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine was the most important step toward deescalation of the crisis.

The presence of the international observers in the field at this point bears the greatest importance, Dačić said and backed the extension of the mission's mandate and a prompt adoption of the decision on deployment of OSCE observers as soon as possible, in keeping with the Berlin declaration adopted on July 2.

According to Dačić, Serbia supports all the activities implemented with a view to achieving a lasting termination of enmity, as a condition without which an inclusive national dialogue can hardly be established.