Serbia as "regional leader in peacekeeping missions"

Serbia as "regional leader in peacekeeping missions"

Speaking at a two-day regional conference on the participation of Western Balkan countries in UN peacekeeping operations, which began in Belgrade today, Dačić stressed that Serbia supported proactive multilateralism and that he saw regional integration and regional cooperation as the most significant segment of its foreign policy, without which there was no prosperity and stability in the true sense of those words.

“As a peacekeeping contributor, Serbia advocates for and supports continuous dialogue within the UN, aimed at improving results and efficiency of peacekeeping missions in response to new challenges and demands of the modern era,” Dačić said.

Dačić said that Serbia was a regional leader when it came to the participation in UN peacekeeping missions and the eighth biggest contributor on the European continent.

Since 2003, Serbia has been working continuously to improve its peacekeeping engagement in terms of both quality and quantity, Dačić said, pointing out that more than 200 members of the Serbian Army (VS) were currently serving under the UN flag and announcing the possibility of increasing the volume of participation in peacekeeping missions following the recent adoption of the annual plan of participation of the VS and other Serbia’s defense forces in multinational operations.

Recalling UN Security Council Resolution 1244, under which the UNMIK mission was operational in Kosovo and Metohija together with KFOR and EULEX, Dačić stressed that the status-neutral operation of UNMIK and all UN organizations and programs in Kosovo was particularly important in the context of support for the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština.

Dačić said Serbia was a part of the region that had gone through a very difficult and challenging period and it therefore approached the process of building and preserving peace very responsibly.

"We are promoting regional cooperation, mutual understanding and reconciliation, quite aware that peace and stability has no alternative, and that it is easy to spark old distrust and much harder to build true understanding,” said Dačić.

Observing that threats to world peace are becoming ever more frequent, Dačić said that peacekeeping is a common responsibility that requires constant engagement and dedication of all peacekeeping contributors in order to help the UN achieve concrete results.

Taking part in the two-day regional conference on the participation of Western Balkan countries in UN peacekeeping operations will be United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous, Serbian Defense Minister Bratislav Gašić, senior officials of the UN Department for Peacekeeping Operations, officials of Western Balkan countries, representatives of peacekeeping partner countries and the head of the UN Office in Belgrade, Peter Due.