In high-level meetings in Belgrade, OSCE PA President and Secretary General emphasize dialogue, co-operation and reform

BELGRADE, 16 October 2019 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli and Secretary General Roberto Montella are in Belgrade this week for a series of meetings and engagements. The PA President and Secretary General met with President of the Serbian National Assembly Maja Gojković, Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić, representatives of the political opposition, civil society, and the Serbian Delegation to the OSCE PA.

President Tsereteli has participated in the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s 141st Assembly, which he addressed, and lauded Serbia for the hosting of this productive IPU Session which saw the participation of many speakers of parliament. He also recalled Serbia’s successful OSCE Chairmanship in 2015 and the hosting of the OSCE PA Annual Session in 2011.

In a meeting with Prime Minister Brnabić Tuesday, Tsereteli emphasized the excellent co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Serbia, notably in the field of legislative reform. Brnabić highlighted the efforts made by the authorities in view of the upcoming elections, with the adoption of a number of noteworthy decisions.

“Meaningful dialogue with the political opposition ahead of the elections centered on concrete reforms is vitally important for Serbia,” said President Tsereteli today. “The OSCE Mission to Serbia is an essential partner in this regard and the OSCE PA also stands ready to offer its support in efforts to implement electoral, media and judicial reforms in the country.”

On Monday, Tsereteli and Montella visited the OSCE Mission to Serbia, meeting with Head of Mission Ambassador Andrea Orizio and senior staff. They also held meetings with representatives of civil society organizations.

Discussions touched on challenges in the rule of law, the fight against corruption, and organized crime. The independence of the judiciary was also raised as a challenge by the opposition and by civil society, with the Mission’s work to increase the independence and accountability of the judicial system noted.

“Hearing about the important work of the OSCE Mission to Serbia is a reminder of the importance of all OSCE field operations,” Montella said. “I encourage the Serbian leadership to showcase its positive co-operation with this Mission as an example to other countries in the OSCE area that could benefit from this sort of engagement.”

Tsereteli and Montella also met opposition party leaders, including Boris Tadić, President of the Social Democratic Party (SDS); Nebojša Zelenović, President of the Together for Serbia Party; Čedomir Jovanović, President of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP); and Zoran Živković, MP and President of the New Party. Opposition leaders raised the lack of political dialogue and the need to fulfill conditions to ensure elections in accordance to international standards and in accordance to the expectations of the people.

Media-related challenges also emerged as a key priority with civil society and the opposition noting challenges over the lack of transparency in ownership structures as well as political and economic influence. President Tsereteli encouraged Serbia to continue implementing the Five-year Media Strategy noting that the OSCE Mission stood ready to assist in the design and implementation of legislation stemming from the Strategy.

In a meeting with Speaker Gojković on Tuesday, the sides discussed co-operation between the OSCE Mission and OSCE PA and the important role of the Serbian Delegation to the OSCE PA, notably with the appointment of Stefana Miladinović as the new Special Rapporteur on Digital Agenda. Tsereteli also called for fostered dialogue and political inclusiveness in light of the upcoming elections, and praised the Speaker’s efforts in this direction.

Tsereteli, Montella and Orizio also visited Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday. Meeting with Foreign Minister and former OSCE Chair-in-Office Ivica Dačić, Tsereteli emphasized important role of Serbia in the region and its constructive engagement to make the OSCE stronger. Dačić reiterated that the government stands ready to engage with the opposition and aim at a more constructive dialogue.

The President and the Secretary General underscored the PA’s commitment to the region including through the activities of the Special Representative on South East Europe Mark Pritchard. Montella encouraged the interlocutors to make the best use of the OSCE Mission as it provides valuable expertise across many areas subject of reforms.

Government representatives noted that several opposition parties had announced that they would boycott the 2020 elections. Efforts are undergoing to establish a meaningful dialogue with the opposition as well as advancing electoral reforms based on OSCE/ODIHR’s recommendations. In this context the President encouraged to speed up ongoing electoral reforms.

For photos of the visit to Serbia, please visit the OSCE PA’s Flickr page.