OSCE Chairmanship marks 10th anniversary of OSCE Mission to Serbia

BELGRADE, 16 May 2011 – Today the Chair of the OSCE Permanent Council, Lithuania’s Ambassador Renatas Norkus, and OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut visited Belgrade to celebrate 10 years of successful co-operation between the OSCE Mission and the Government of Serbia.

The main event marking the anniversary was the conference “Working for Democracy and Security - Serbia and the OSCE: 10 Years of Partnership” organized by the OSCE Mission.

During the visit Norkus said: “The Lithuanian Chairmanship appreciates the trust and co-operation displayed by Serbia's government, civil society, independent institutions, academia, media, minority groups and young people. This contributes to our strong sense of shared responsibility.”

“During the last decade the OSCE Mission has helped Serbia build and strengthen independent and accountable democratic institutions and has been working on the rule of law, protection of human rights, free media, and environmental protection. The Mission supports civil society and fosters regional co-operation and reconciliation. In short, the OSCE, through its missions in the region, has helped make the region more secure and stable. We look forward to continuing this work,” said Norkus.

The Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship has made regional and sub-regional co-operation to enhance regional security one of its priorities. South-Eastern European countries have themselves developed several regional formats for co-operation that can serve as good examples of how countries can work together to advance their reform agendas.