Dacic: There is no alternative to political dialogue

STRASBOURG - Serbian FM Ivica Dacic said on Tuesday in Strasbourg consistent respect of international law was the best and the fastest way of achieving stability and well-being in the international community.

In an address that marked the 20th anniversary of Serbia's Council of Europe (CoE) membership, Dacic noted that Serbia fully respected all CoE mechanisms and that the country had changed to a great extent in the past 20 years, developing in all societal spheres in line with the free will of its citizens.

He noted that the CoE, too, had changed, developing and expanding its scope of work and aligning it with global trends.

In the past several years, it has become evident how vulnerable we are when it comes to global challenges as we have faced a migrant crisis, a pandemic and armed conflicts and, more recently, food and energy supply problems, he said.

"Challenging times call for important decisions, but those decisions should not exclude a significant principle - the principle of solidarity," he said.

A war has been raging in Europe for over a year now, Dacic said, calling on relevant international actors to use all their capacities to stop the war in Ukraine as soon as possible.

"Based on its own bitter experience, Serbia's message is that there is no alternative to political dialogue," Dacic said, adding that Serbia was appealing for giving talks and democracy a chance.

"Serbia has always adhered consistently to the principle of international law, the principle of the inviolability of borders and respect of the territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine," Dacic said.

To Serbia, it is important that CoE standards also be implemented in the territory of Kosovo-Metohija, too, Dacic said.