“Among its (OSCE) Chairmanship priorities, Serbia underlined the efforts to improve cooperation in South East Europe and the Balkans and this will enable the RCC, which I lead, to closely cooperate with the OSCE,” said Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic, for Serbian daily Danas. “Currently, the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Chairmanship-in-Office is held by Albania, followed by Bulgaria from June, and I expect this will be additional impulse to all the SEE countries, gathered around SEECP, to support Serbia. We can do more in the region regarding joint management of water resources (being one of Serbia’s priorities); joint response to disasters such were the recent floods; as well as joint fight against those campaigning at remote war theatres and coming from our region; joint migration management and efforts to establish close regional level cooperation in fighting organised crime and corruption; etc. The South-East European Cooperation Process could, at the same time, be the example Serbia will, together with the SEECP Chairmanship-in-Office, feature within the OSCE as an example for repute and inspiration to other OSCE regions… If you ask me about the direct benefit for Serbia I would say it is primarily the opportunity for Serbia to have a direct communication at the highest level with key countries on three continents during the year and to consult them about the responses to challenges and crises. Furthermore, Serbia can use the opportunity to present not only itself but also the neighbouring countries as an example of successful regional cooperation. Finally and probably most importantly, at the end of this year when OSCE Ministerial Council will take place in Belgrade, Serbia will, as a successful OSCE Chairmanship, be a step closer to meeting its main national foreign policy goal – full integration into the EU. Frankly, my personal assessment of the success of Serbian OSCE Chairmanship in one year time will be precisely based on this – whether Serbia has used the opportunity to accelerate its EU accession. This is a huge and rare opportunity to do so.” More on this ia vailable at the link below. danas.rs/danasrs/politika/ne_treba_ocekivati_cuda.56.html?news_id=295470
Posted on: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 23:27:57 +0000