Udovicic: OSCE chairmanship-Serbia's political priority

BELGRADE - The 2015 chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will be Serbia's political priority and a good opportunity for promoting our country, Minister of Youth and Sport Vanja Udovicic said at the opening of a conference titled “Model OSCE” on Tuesday.

“This will be a big test, big chance and challenge to show our new international position and significance on the global political stage,” Udovicic underlined.

He noted that “the OSCE chairmanship gives us a chance to restore Serbia's reputation in the international arena and get back to the place we deserve on Europe's foreign policy map.

Conferences such as this one represent a valuable experience and major incentive for young people to take on their part of responsibility, the minister noted.

At the opening of the three-day conference at the Palace of Serbia, Ambassador Dejan Sahovic, head of the Foreign Ministry's working group responsible for preparations for Serbia's OSCE chairmanship, Swiss Ambassador to Serbia Jean Daniel Ruch and Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia Peter Burkhard gave a warm welcome to youth ambassadors.

The OSCE Mission in Belgrade cooperates with all when it comes to policy development, in an effort to improve the life of young people in Serbia, Burkhard said, commending the Serbian government for the advancement in youth policy development.

Ambassador Sahovic underscored that the drafting of a Youth Action Plan is one of the objectives of Switzerland's and Serbia's OSCE chairmanship, and Swiss Ambassador to Serbia Jean Daniel Ruch pointed to youth unemployment as a key problem.

According to the World Bank's data, 90 percent of OSCE member states have over 10...