Djuric: Visit to Finland successful

HELSINKI - Wrapping up an official visit to Finland, Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Wednesday he expected Serbia-Finland relations to continue to make progress and that the two countries would strive to utilise their economic potential for cooperation and advocate "a Serbia in Europe, as well as a Europe in peace."

Djuric said the visit to Finland had been successful and that his discussions with the country's top officials had lent an additional impetus to bilateral relations.

He noted that, symbolically, he was concluding the visit at the Finlandia venue, where the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) was established.

"This is a place where the Helsinki Principles, which have to do with inviolability of borders and respect for the territorial integrity of countries, were etched into international relations and international law," Djuric told reporters.

At the time the OSCE was established in 1975 - at the height of the Cold War - a very important message was sent that countries divided by ideologies, conflicts and wars need to cooperate, Djuric said.

"That is why, from here, the Finlandia venue, we are sending a message that, more than ever, Europe needs peace, a renewal of dialogue and a renewal of cooperation, as well as that the same standards of respect for international law, the territorial integrity of states and multilateralism should be affirmed so that we preserve what we have achieved after WWII, after suffering many casualties - an order based on rules, on the UN Charter and on the Helsinki Final Act," Djuric said.

He expressed the confidence the relations with Finland would continue an upward trajectory following his visit.

"We will try to utilise the undoubted economic potential on both sides and advocate a Serbia in Europe, as well as a Europe in peace," Djuric said.