First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic received today Secretary General of the Permanent International Secretariat of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC PERMIS) Michael Christides, who is on a working visit to Belgrade.

In the talks they explored possibilities for further promoting the cooperation between the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and the Republic of Serbia, particularly in the context of Serbia's incoming chairmanship of this Organization, from 1 July to 31 December 2016.

The officials also discussed the issues of BSEC reform, primarily with the aim of expanding its project-oriented approach, and also with regard to Serbian experts' participation in the activities of this international organization's working bodies and the Republic of Serbia acceding to the remaining agreements adopted in the BSEC framework.

Both officials estimated that it was necessary to continue the Organization's orientation towards developing economic and other forms of cooperation that were in the interest of all member states in the wider Black Sea region.