Addressing the Committee members, the newly-appointed and first Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Miodrag Nikolin stressed that this was a friendly country which has not recognised the independence of Kosovo and with which Serbia should work on developing closer economic ties. He added that Myanmar was a country in democratic transition, rich in insufficiently tapped natural resources.

Talking to the Committee members, the newly-appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia – resident representative of the Republic of Serbia to the Council of Europe, Zoran Popovic said that Serbia’s participation in the Council of Europe is grounded in solid positions of earned trust, adding that the focus will remain on human rights issues, democratic institutions, strengthening of the legislative, the judiciary, freedom of the media and similar. He stressed Serbia will abide by and promote standards relating to national minority rights. Speaking of Kosovo-Metohija, Popovic said that Serbia would continue to try and foil Pristina’s efforts to affirm its sovereignty in the organisation, pointing out that the Council of Europe pursues a neutral policy on Kosovo.

At the sitting, the Committee accepted several initiatives for visits in October and November 2013, among them the invitation to take part in the international team observing the presidential election in Azerbaijan from 6 to 10 October 2013, as well as the invitation to the 2nd International Parliamentary Forum dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Russian Constitution and the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, in Moscow, on 14 November 2013.

The Committee went on to note the standing delegations’ regular activities in the upcoming period.

The Foreign Affairs Committee also accepted the proposal to organise a public hearing on Euro-Asian integration, at the National Assembly, on 25 November 2013.

The sitting was chaired by Milos Aligrudic, Committee Chairman.