"Serbian CoE presidency successful"

CoE General Secretary Terry Davis has praised Serbia’s six-month presidency of the organization's Committee of Ministers. He said last night that Serbia was a capable European leader. At a reception organized by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic to mark the end of the Serbian presidency of the Council of Europe (CoE), Davis said that Serbia “deserved to wear European colors.“ "Serbian CoE presidency successful" “Six months ago, wherever I was, people were quietly telling me that they didn’t think Serbia was capable of leading a European organization made up of 47 democratic countries dedicated to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law,“ he said. “Some were worried that Serbia did not yet have a government, some that it was too distracted by Kosovo, while some criticized its habits. They were all wrong. Preparations for the presidency were done in such a way as to serve as an example and all Serbian representatives merit praise,“ said Davis. Jeremic said that Serbia, during the last six months, had shown that “it could be entrusted with an international role and that it could chair European institutions.“ The foreign minister added that European values and European vision were “in Serbia’s heart.“ He said that the presidency had been successful, and thanked Davis, Head of the CoE Office in Belgrade Denis Huber and Serbian ambassador to Strasbourg Sladjana Prica for their cooperation. The reception was attended by President Boris Tadic and representatives of the diplomatic corps and public personalities. Slovakia will assume the Committee presidency at a special congress of the 47 member-states on November 12 in Strasbourg. Jeremic will preside during the first half of the meeting to summarize Serbia’s six-month presidency, then Slovakian Foreign Minister Jan Kubis will take over and present his country’s priorities for the next six months. Tadic and Jeremic at the reception last night (FoNet)

"Serbian CoE presidency successful"

“Six months ago, wherever I was, people were quietly telling me that they didn’t think Serbia was capable of leading a European organization made up of 47 democratic countries dedicated to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law,“ he said.

“Some were worried that Serbia did not yet have a government, some that it was too distracted by Kosovo, while some criticized its habits. They were all wrong. Preparations for the presidency were done in such a way as to serve as an example and all Serbian representatives merit praise,“ said Davis.

Jeremić said that Serbia, during the last six months, had shown that “it could be entrusted with an international role and that it could chair European institutions.“

The foreign minister added that European values and European vision were “in Serbia’s heart.“ He said that the presidency had been successful, and thanked Davis, Head of the CoE Office in Belgrade Denis Huber and Serbian ambassador to Strasbourg Slađana Prica for their cooperation.

The reception was attended by President Boris Tadić and representatives of the diplomatic corps and public personalities.

Slovakia will assume the Committee presidency at a special congress of the 47 member-states on November 12 in Strasbourg.

Jeremić will preside during the first half of the meeting to summarize Serbia’s six-month presidency, then Slovakian Foreign Minister Jan Kubis will take over and present his country’s priorities for the next six months.