Djuric: Serbia believes in significance of OSCE's role in difficult times

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Marko Djuric met with Finnish FM and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Elina Valtonen in Belgrade on Monday, noting that Serbia believed in the significance of the OSCE's role and that, for Serbia, the OSCE was one of the most significant international forums.

"Serbia is a country that firmly believes in a multilateral world order, a country that firmly believes in the principles of international public law, a country that firmly believes in the OSCE founding acts and believes in the significance and relevance of the OSCE's role in the difficult times Europe - the continent where Serbia belongs historically, politically and civilisationally - is in," Djuric told reporters after the meeting with Valtonen.

He said he had had a good conversation with Valtonen aimed at an exchange of views between Serbia and the OSCE, as well as good bilateral discussions between Serbia and Finland.

He noted this was his second meeting with Valtonen in the past year as she had also paid a bilateral visit to Serbia.

"This visit confirmed our joint commitment to dialogue, cooperation and building trust in the region, as well as beyond, in the spirit of the fundamental principles the OSCE rests upon," Djuric said.

He noted that, for Serbia, the OSCE was one of the most important international forums the country participated in.

He said the meeting had been an opportunity to discuss internal challenges in Serbia, as well as the situation in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo-Metohija.

"When it comes to our internal challenges, I reiterated the commitment and the orientation of the Government and the Serbian state authorities to resolve all our internal political challenges and issues in a democratic manner, through dialogue, by using European democratic principles and standards," Djuric said.

He added that he had thanked the OSCE for its role in Kosovo-Metohija and that he had informed Valtonen of the difficult position of non-majority communities in Kosovo-Metohija, including the Serbs.

Valtonen said the OSCE was strongly committed to its engagement in the region and to its years-long partnership with Serbia.

She also said democratisation, media freedom, freedom of speech, rule of law and human rights were key for Serbia's reform path and remained the OSCE's focus.