Dacic: Existence of OSCE becoming pointless

LODZ - The existence of an organisation like the OSCE is slowly becoming pointless, Serbian FM Ivica Dacic said on Thursday in Lodz, Poland, where he is attending he 29th OSCE Ministerial Council meeting.

What is the purpose of the existence of international forums such as this one when not all representatives are attending, Dacic asked, referring to Poland's decision to ban Russian FM Sergey Lavrov from coming to the meeting.

"The OSCE is not the same without all states, from Vancouver to Vladivostok. I think that we are slowly crossing the boundary when it comes to the purpose of the existence of an organisation like this one, where no one listens to anyone and where no decision is binding and where, at the end of the day, no decisions can be made because that requires a consensus. It is a complete paralysis of the work of international organisations," Dacic noted.

He said he was ready to applaud statements that the Crimea and Donetsk are parts of Ukraine, and noted that Serbia respected the territorial integrity of Ukraine. "I will say that Kosovo is Serbia, but I am not sure I will get the same applause. That says enough about double standards," Dacic noted.

He said the former Yugoslavia had been one of the founders of the OSCE and that a speech delivered by its former President Tito in Helsinki in 1975 would still be current today.

"The main message is: detente, or relaxation. There will either be a detente or a global conflict. There is no doubt about that, and the citizens will be the biggest victims," Dacic said, noting that Serbia was trying not to take sides and "looking after its own interests."