First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic met today with Pascale Moreau, Director of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' Regional Bureau for Europe.

In the meeting the officials welcomed the years-long successful mutual cooperation in providing care to refugees and internally displaced persons in Serbia, particularly through the implementation of the Regional Housing Programme which was currently in full swing. They touched upon successfully facing migration in the region in the previous period, in which context Serbia was commended for its efforts in dealing with this major challenge, while fully respecting all the rights of the migrant population.

With regard to internally displaced persons from Kosovo and Metohija, the Minister drew his collocutor's attention to the necessity of ensuring sustainable return to the southern Serbian province for all persons wishing to do so, underscoring the disturbing statistics indicating that return was achieved in only 1.9% of cases.

The previously extended invitation to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi to visit Serbia was reaffirmed on this occasion and accepted with pleasure, while possible dates for the visit were currently under consideration.