First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic announced at today’s press conference the official visit to Serbia of Witold Waszczykowski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, to take place on 30 September. The Minister added that the Foreign Ministers of Russia and Turkey Sergey Lavrov and Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu were expected to visit in October, as well as James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant of the NATO Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy.
When speaking about the planned activities, the Serbian Foreign Minister announced that the UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights would make an official visit to Serbia in the first week of October, adding that this visit would be an important one in political terms, from the viewpoint of reflecting on the level of vulnerability and deliberate destruction of the cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija. For the upcoming period, the Minister announced a number of diplomatic efforts regarding the bid of “Kosovo” to become a member of some international organizations, highlighting that next year, “Kosovo” would probably re-activate its UNESCO membership request.
When it comes to his participation in the United Nations General Assembly in New York and the Non-Aligned Meeting in Venezuela, Minister Dacic emphasized that the representatives of Serbia received firm assurances on the part of the countries that had not recognized the independence of Kosovo and Metohija, that there would be no change in the said countries’ positions.
“Our delegation did many good things for Serbia, both in Venezuela and in New York”, underscored the Minister, who met representatives of 53 countries in New York.
The representatives of Serbia worked on the affirmation of Serbia’s policy, implying clear commitment to regional peace and stability, Serbia’s European integration, but also the protection of our national and state interests when it comes to Kosovo and Metohija.
“This matters, because representatives of Pristina are lobbying restlessly around the world”. The Serbian Foreign Minister said that Serbia owed gratitude to Poland because it was abstained regarding the request of Kosovo and Metohija to join UNESCO, in this organization’s General Conference, despite the fact that Poland recognized the independence of “Kosovo”
Minister Dacic announced the official visit to Hungary, to take place on 3 October, as well as the visit to Turkey, scheduled for 5 and 6 October, where he will talk to Turkish officials in Ankara, only to proceed to Antalya, where he will take part in the National Day of Serbia, at an international horticultural exhibition.
Serbian Foreign Minister will take part in the Sixth Belgrade Security Forum, on 13 October 2016, in a panel dedicated to the relations between Serbia and NATO, through Partnership for Peace, where the Minister of Defence Zoran Djordjevic and James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant of the NATO Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, are due to take part.
“I received an invitation to take part, as a guest of honour, in the Bratislava Tatra Summit, one of the most important regional security meetings, primarily due to the fact that this event is considered to be the most important one within the framework of the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the EU”, the Minister said.
The Minister announced that Serbia, holding the Chairmanship-in-Office of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, will organize a Ministerial Council in December, which is supposed to be attended by several Foreign Ministers from the Black Sea region, including the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Russia and Turkey Sergey Lavrov and Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.
Serbia’s priorities in the coming period will be the continuation of European integration and the opening of certain chapters by the end of this year.
