Swiss OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to visit Western Balkans

BERN, 23 April 2014 – Swiss Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Didier Burkhalter, will visit Belgrade, Tirana and Prishtinë/Priština from 24 to 25 April 2014 to meet with political leaders and discuss Switzerland's engagement in the region as OSCE Chair.

Reconciliation and co-operation in the Western Balkans are among the priorities of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship which builds on the country’s long-standing commitment to promoting peace in this part of the world, Burkhalter said in the run-up to the visit. With six field missions on the ground across the region, the Western Balkans are an important arena for OSCE operations, he added.

The visit by the Chairperson-in-Office is intended to support three ongoing processes that Switzerland has identified as vital for stability in the Western Balkans. These are the normalisation of relations, in line with the agreement reached between Belgrade and Prishtinë/Priština a year ago, strengthening regional co-operation efforts, and encouraging regional reconciliation, particularly in resolving the issue of missing persons.

Serbia, which assumes the OSCE Chairmanship next year, is the first stop on Burkhalter’s visit. There he will meet President Tomislav Nikolić and Prime Minister-designate Aleksandar Vučić. A meeting with Serbia's Foreign Minister, Ivan Mrkić, is also scheduled.

In Tirana, Burkhalter will meet President Bujar Nishani and Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati, before meeting young Albanians who are taking part in civic education classes as part of an OSCE project.

During his visit to Prishtinë/Priština on 25 April, he will meet President Atifete Jahjaga and Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi. He will also discuss the issue of human rights with youths from the Kosovo Albanian and Kosovo Serb communities.