Dacic: Serbia takes over OSCE chairmanship at difficult time

VIENNA - Serbia took over the OSCE chairmanship on Thursday and its Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said in Vienna the international community should remain vigilant in the face of new terrorist threats, and that Ukraine remained the central issue for the OSCE in 2015.

Serbia's chairmanship comes at a very difficult time Dacic stated, presenting the priorities of that chairmanship to the OSCE Permanent Council.

When Serbia filed its candidacy for the OSCE chairmanship, it felt that having a Western Balkan country as the OSCE chair would add new value to the work of this organisation, especially in terms of passing on Serbia's experience to the OSCE region, he said.

The OSCE played an important role in post-conflict transition, particularly in providing support for a wide range of reforms throughout the Balkans, he pointed out.

Although each region covered by the OSCE is unique in its way, the need for dialogue and reconciliation is ever more pronounced in the current, challenging geopolitical circumstances, he said.

Serbia's experience indicates that despite many obstacles, a positive agenda can be created by redefining the existing context in a pragmatic and goal-oriented way, he believes.

Dacic thinks Serbia's chairmanship can add momentum to this positive agenda by strengthening regional cooperation and improving the reconciliation process.

Regarding last week's terrorist attacks in France, Dacic stated that that horrible act of violence had highlighted all the major threats to our societies and that it was necessary to protect freedom of speech and journalists from the increasing risks they were exposed to.

We have to be unambiguous in our condemnation of all forms of terrorism, while...