OSCE Ministerial Council conference continues in Belgrade

OSCE Ministerial Council conference continues in Belgrade

The closing of the Ministerial Council will take place in the early afternoon, with another address from Dacic, and of the incoming chairman, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

As planned, the Ministerial Council will be closed by the adopting of decisions.

Dacic and Steinmeier, and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier will afterwards give a press conference.

During their work yesterday, foreign ministers of OSCE member-states urged joint fight against terrorism but also pointed out to new risks and challenges, such as climate change, which could lead to new conflicts and even greater migrations.

They also congratulated Serbia on the outstanding chairmanship of the organization under extremely difficult circumstances, and said there had been progress in resolving the Ukrainian crisis but that more work had to be done, while implementation of the Minsk agreements remained crucial.

The Serbian capital is hosting more than 40 foreign ministers, including those of the United States, Russia and the EU - John Kerry, Sergei Lavrov, and Federica Mogherini, and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland.

Numerous bilateral meetings have been held on the sidelines of the conference, with those between Kerry and Lavrov, and Lavrov and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu attracting much attention.

The conference in Belgrade marks the end of Serbia's one-year chairmanship over the OSCE and is expected to produce consensus on decisions related to "the three dimensions covered by the OSCE."

The gathering is attended by representatives of 57 member states and 11 Mediterranean and Asian partners, with more than 1,000 delegates. The work of the Ministerial Council is covered by several hundred journalists, and is unfolding with strong security measures in place.