FM: Serbia to deepen relations with Latin America

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said Sunday in El Salvador that Serbia would continue deepening its relations with Latin American and Caribbean states. He added that the country would also continue its cooperation with the Organization of American States. FM: Serbia to deepen relations with Latin America Addressing the Forty-first OAS General Assembly, Jeremic said that for more than a century, the Organization of American States had been setting the Western Hemisphere's agenda for democracy, peace, development, and law and order. “This has greatly benefited not only its members, but also the rest of the world,” he said. At the onset of his remarks, he expressed his deepest gratitude to Serbia's friends from El Salvador - and especially to Foreign Minister Hugo Martínez - for the outstanding hospitality and excellent organization of this event. “As part of our efforts, we will continue to prioritize deepening our relations with Latin American and Caribbean states, both bilaterally and through this Organization, on the basis of the friendly ties we have maintained with your respective nations for decades,” the Serbian foreign minister pointed out. “Some of our relationships were forged during the heyday of the Non-Aligned Movement. To mark the 50th anniversary of the First NAM Summit, held in my country in 1961, a special commemoration ministerial meeting will take place on September 5th and 6th in Belgrade - the city that symbolizes the beginning of the Movement,” he added. “Five decades after we hosted the First Summit, it is a great honor to invite my NAM colleagues to come back to where it all began, for a reunion celebration,” the Serbian minister stressed. “Last year's signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Serbia and the OAS is increasing all-round cooperation in a number of areas, including trade, culture, and education, “ Jeremic said. “The Republic of Serbia fully supports the concerted efforts of the OAS to fight organized crime, as outlined in the draft San Salvador Declaration and Plan of Action. Enhancing citizen security - within the context of a democratic order where the rule of law and observance of human rights is sacrosanct - is a fundamental public right in the 21st century,” he explained. “Coordinating police measures, together with harmonizing national crime prevention mechanisms and legal frameworks, are critical to effectively combating this transnational scourge,” underscored the foreign minister. “In Southeast Europe, Serbia's zero-tolerance policy is a lynchpin in our own regional efforts to eliminating the threat posed by organized criminal networks, especially international drugs traffickers,” he added. “Our proactive approach has resulted in a number of successful joint operations against large-scale smugglers,” Jeremic pointed out. Referring to the unilateral declaration of independence by the ethnic Albanian authorities of Serbia's southern province of Kosovo, the foreign minister expressed his profound appreciation for their principled position of over three quarters of OAS countries which have not recognized Kosovo's UDI. “I express my profound appreciation for their principled position in the face of numerous pressures. This support is truly gratifying, and will never be forgotten,” he stated. “We therefore kindly urge all non-recognizing OAS countries to maintain their reservations with regards to Kosovo's attempted secession. This will help ensure that unilateral attempts to impose outcomes to ethnic and territorial disputes are not legitimized - and thereby preventing Kosovo's attempted secession from becoming a dangerous and destabilizing precedent,” Serbia’s foreign minister stressed. “It will also contribute to maintaining a healthy international environment within which the negotiations between Serbia and Pristina can continue-and ultimately produce a comprehensive settlement acceptable to both parties,” Jeremic continued. “I want to emphasize that Serbia remains strongly committed to resolving all differences at the negotiating table. This will continue to be our position-notwithstanding the findings contained in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly's deeply disturbing report entitled Investigation of Allegations of Inhuman Treatment of People and Illicit Trafficking in Human Organs in Kosovo,” he added. “It is imperative that allegations of these and all other atrocities committed in the context of the Kosovo conflict are not swept under the carpet,” the Serbian minister pointed out. “Those responsible must be held accountable through an independent and comprehensive criminal investigation under the auspices of the United Nations, as have all previous war crimes inquiries in the Balkans. There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that this is the standard of justice that should be applied in the case of the harvesting and smuggling of human organs, as well,” Jeremic said. “We shall be relentless in our quest to uncover the full truth of what happened, and we ask for your support in this endeavor. No one should be immune from being held accountable-whichever side the perpetrators belong to and irrespective of their political roles. This is an essential component in the process of reconciliation-a stepping stone on the way to lasting peace in the Balkans,” he concluded. Vuk Jeremic (Tanjug, file)

FM: Serbia to deepen relations with Latin America

Addressing the Forty-first OAS General Assembly, Jeremić said that for more than a century, the Organization of American States had been setting the Western Hemisphere's agenda for democracy, peace, development, and law and order.

“This has greatly benefited not only its members, but also the rest of the world,” he said.

At the onset of his remarks, he expressed his deepest gratitude to Serbia's friends from El Salvador - and especially to Foreign Minister Hugo Martínez - for the outstanding hospitality and excellent organization of this event.

“As part of our efforts, we will continue to prioritize deepening our relations with Latin American and Caribbean states, both bilaterally and through this Organization, on the basis of the friendly ties we have maintained with your respective nations for decades,” the Serbian foreign minister pointed out.

“Some of our relationships were forged during the heyday of the Non-Aligned Movement. To mark the 50th anniversary of the First NAM Summit, held in my country in 1961, a special commemoration ministerial meeting will take place on September 5th and 6th in Belgrade - the city that symbolizes the beginning of the Movement,” he added.

“Five decades after we hosted the First Summit, it is a great honor to invite my NAM colleagues to come back to where it all began, for a reunion celebration,” the Serbian minister stressed.

“Last year's signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Serbia and the OAS is increasing all-round cooperation in a number of areas, including trade, culture, and education, “ Jeremić said.

“The Republic of Serbia fully supports the concerted efforts of the OAS to fight organized crime, as outlined in the draft San Salvador Declaration and Plan of Action. Enhancing citizen security - within the context of a democratic order where the rule of law and observance of human rights is sacrosanct - is a fundamental public right in the 21st century,” he explained.

“Coordinating police measures, together with harmonizing national crime prevention mechanisms and legal frameworks, are critical to effectively combating this transnational scourge,” underscored the foreign minister.

“In Southeast Europe, Serbia's zero-tolerance policy is a lynchpin in our own regional efforts to eliminating the threat posed by organized criminal networks, especially international drugs traffickers,” he added.

“Our proactive approach has resulted in a number of successful joint operations against large-scale smugglers,” Jeremić pointed out.

Referring to the unilateral declaration of independence by the ethnic Albanian authorities of Serbia's southern province of Kosovo, the foreign minister expressed his profound appreciation for their principled position of over three quarters of OAS countries which have not recognized Kosovo's UDI.

“I express my profound appreciation for their principled position in the face of numerous pressures. This support is truly gratifying, and will never be forgotten,” he stated.

“We therefore kindly urge all non-recognizing OAS countries to maintain their reservations with regards to Kosovo's attempted secession. This will help ensure that unilateral attempts to impose outcomes to ethnic and territorial disputes are not legitimized - and thereby preventing Kosovo's attempted secession from becoming a dangerous and destabilizing precedent,” Serbia’s foreign minister stressed.

“It will also contribute to maintaining a healthy international environment within which the negotiations between Serbia and Priština can continue-and ultimately produce a comprehensive settlement acceptable to both parties,” Jeremić continued.

“I want to emphasize that Serbia remains strongly committed to resolving all differences at the negotiating table. This will continue to be our position-notwithstanding the findings contained in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly's deeply disturbing report entitled Investigation of Allegations of Inhuman Treatment of People and Illicit Trafficking in Human Organs in Kosovo,” he added.

“It is imperative that allegations of these and all other atrocities committed in the context of the Kosovo conflict are not swept under the carpet,” the Serbian minister pointed out.

“Those responsible must be held accountable through an independent and comprehensive criminal investigation under the auspices of the United Nations, as have all previous war crimes inquiries in the Balkans. There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that this is the standard of justice that should be applied in the case of the harvesting and smuggling of human organs, as well,” Jeremić said.

“We shall be relentless in our quest to uncover the full truth of what happened, and we ask for your support in this endeavor. No one should be immune from being held accountable-whichever side the perpetrators belong to and irrespective of their political roles. This is an essential component in the process of reconciliation-a stepping stone on the way to lasting peace in the Balkans,” he concluded.