OSCE chairmanship - challenge and chance for Serbia

BELGRADE - The OSCE chairmanship is very important for Serbia, the Serbian leadership and the Serbian foreign affairs services, which will have the opportunity and chance to demonstrate their professionalism and best qualities, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Chepurin has said.

We are now faced with an attack on Ukraine and the attempts to forcibly bring down the country's legitimate authorities. It is necessary to regulate the internal Ukrainian conflict and provide help in the dialogue between the authorities in Kiev and the population in Donbass, Chepurin told Tanjug speaking about Serbia's priority role in the regulation of the Ukrainian conflict during its chairmanship of the OSCE.

He said that Russia expects from Serbia to show professionalism, objectivity, flexibility and consistency in performing this role, while being guided by fundamental principles.

For Serbia, this is not only a challenge but also a real possibility to show all of its positive aspects. We respect Serbia's foreign policy, because it is thoroughly thought and balanced, as we could have seen in relation to the measures, which are not legally valid, and which are sometimes by mistake qualified as sanctions against Russia, the Russian ambassador assessed.

Chepurin pointed out that he sees Serbia's aspirations and its ability to improve the climate in Europe, and as the OSCE chair, it will have great possibilities for this though it will be faced with big challenges.

The Russian ambassador stressed that it is common knowledge that Russia recognizes Ukraine's territorial integrity, and believes that it is very important to fulfill the agreements from Minsk in relation to the regulation of the situation in Ukraine.

Moscow...