Dacic: Ukraine a priority in Serbia's OSCE chairmanship

BASEL - The search for a solution to the crisis in Ukraine will be a priority during the forthcoming Serbia's OSCE chairmanship, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Friday during the closing statement at the session of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Basel.

Dacic underscored that the main OSCE priority will remain the search for a solution to the crisis in Ukraine in the way that would encourage a comprehensive peacekeeping process. We intend to collaborate with main interested parties in the search for a peaceful solution to the crisis and we want to underscore once more the importance of general respect for the documents signed in Minsk, Dacic said.

He expressed the hope that high-level political efforts and the efforts of the Trilateral Contact Group would considerably contribute to a breakthrough in this respect.

Dacic underscored that Serbia counts on the support of the 56 OSCE members and expects that the planned constitution of a panel of eminent figures would considerably contribute to the efforts aimed at restoring trust among countries participating in the OSCE work.

In the year to mark the 40th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, we are truing to restore trust among member countries and increase the efficiency of the organisation, Dacic said.

He expressed gratitude to the current OSCE Chair Didier Burkhalter on the hospitality of Switzerland to participants of the ministerial session in Basel, and he also welcomed Germany as the new member of the Troika and the country that will hold OSCE chair in 2016. Dacic also greeted Austria as the country that will take over the OSCE presidency in 2017.

As of January 1, 2015, Serbia will officially take over the chairmanship in OSCE.