The delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headed by Acting Assistant Minister for Security Policy Ambassador Branimir Filipovic, participated in an observer status in the Ministerial Meeting of the US-Adriatic Charter (A5), held on 12 and 13 December in Skopje.

The meeting, held at the level of Foreign Ministers, represents the latest in a series of meetings hosted by Macedonia as the current Chairman of this regional security initiative. Montenegro will assume Chairmanship of the US-Adriatic Charter next year.

Within the main agenda item – future activities in the context of a special meeting between the leaders of the A5 members and observers held in August this year in Podgorica, with the participation of US Vice President and Prime Ministers of the Western Balkan countries, the participants focused on the political and security situation in the region of South Eastern Europe, strengthening of regional cooperation and current security challenges facing A5 members and observers.

Ambassador Filipovic pointed to Serbia's contribution to the preservation and promotion of regional peace and stability, its commitment to full EU membership and the fact that Serbia has been recognized at the international scene as a promoter of regional stability due to its internal stability and a clear foreign policy position of a reliable partner committed to cooperation and sharing responsibility for regional, European and global peace and security.

He emphasized that Serbia, proceeding from its national interests and military neutrality, developed cooperation with NATO through Partnership for Peace programme, which is also of importance to regional stability but that this cooperation did not interfere with Serbia's cooperation with other partners globally, i.e. that this cooperation did not harm Serbia's cooperation with NATO. He emphasized in particular our positions regarding Kosovo and Metohija, above all the support to the KFOR mandate and its role in the Province, commitment to dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and an imperative that all which had been agreed upon be implemented, which Serbia had done for its part. He pointed out that unilateral acts and failure to honour the agreements greatly undermined this process and the establishment of confidence-building.

Ambassador Filipovic indicated that Serbia paid close attention to the A5 activities and actively participated in its formats as observer in an effort to make utmost contribution to regional security through this regional initiative as well.