First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic had talks with President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder, on the fringes of the International Conference on the Responsibility of Institutions, States and Individuals in Combatting Antisemitism in the OSCE Area, held in Rome, 29 January 2018.

The interlocutors expressed their common concern over the ever more frequent manifestations of anti-Semitism across the world, and Europe in particular, assessing as inadmissible the attempts at distorting history.

Ronald Lauder underlined that the Jews all over the world are grateful to Serbia for its acts and deeds in the past, particularly bearing in mind the human toll of the Serbian people, and highly appreciated Serbia's present attitude towards its Jewish community.

Minister Dacic stressed that the Republic of Serbia and he personally were committed to remembrance of Holocaust victims, and to the fight against those who minimize the committed crimes, justify their perpetrators, and underlined that Serbs never committed crimes against Jews. He pointed out that the Republic of Serbia was the first country that passed a law on the implementation of the Terezin Declaration and elimination of the consequences of the confiscation of Holocaust victims' property, which was welcomed by Ronald Lauder.

Addressing the Conference, the President of the World Jewish Congress drew particular attention to the attempts at revisionism and casting the pall of relativity over the Holocaust and all other crimes committed in World War II.
He further condemned the resurgence of ultra-right and pro-Nazi parties, which is tolerated by some European countries.

Ronald Lauder particularly commended the role played by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his personal efforts in combatting anti-Semitism, emphasizing that Jews currently enjoy a greater amount of freedom in Moscow than in "Paris, London, Malmö or Berlin".