Priorities of Serbian OSCE chairmanship presented

Priorities of Serbian OSCE chairmanship presented

VIENNA -- Serbia wants to use its experience to contribute to stability and peace in the world during its chairmanship of the OSCE next year, says Ivica Dačić.

Serbia’s first deputy prime minister and and foreign minister was addressing a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Permanent Council in Vienna on Tuesday.

Lessons from the past show that sustainable solutions can only be achieved through dialogue, Dačić said while presenting the priorities of Serbia's OSCE chairmanship in 2015.

He recalled that two years before, Switzerland and Serbia had decided to do something unique – take up a two-year consecutive chairmanship as a joint response to challenges facing the OSCE.

Dačić stressed that during the Serbian chairmanship, special attention would be devoted to the Western Balkans as a region that had faced a lot of problems and suffering in the past.

The situation has changed considerably, but further efforts are needed to enhance stability, Dačić said, adding that regional reconciliation would be a major priority.

He said that today, Serbia and other countries in the region were committed to accelerating the process of European integration and regional cooperation.

Touching on the role of the OSCE, the Serbian foreign minister especially praised the engagement of the organization's mission in Kosovo.

During its chairmanship, Serbia will cooperate closely with Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Western Balkans, Ambassador Gerard Stoudmann, and also continue activities started by Switzerland, Dačić said.

He also stated...