The reason for the meeting is the initiative of the UN Development Program, OSCE Mission, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, National Democratic Institute in Serbia and the International Republican Institute in Serbia, to organize a comprehensive introductory seminar for the new members of the National Assembly.

National Assembly Speaker Ivica Dacic opined that the National Assembly’s long-standing cooperation with the UN Development Program and OSCE Mission has been successful and significantly contributed to the improvement of the work of the National Assembly. He welcomed the initiative to organize an introductory seminar for new MPs, reminding the guests that similar trainings had been successfully organized in previous legislatures of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. He said that the National Assembly is ready and open to continue cooperation with the international organizations on other projects that can contribute to its efficiency and the professional training of its members and employees.

F. Pickup and I. Krapivina congratulated the National Assembly Speaker on taking office and wished him success in the performance of his new function. They thanked the National Assembly for its openness to continue the cooperation, recalling the important joint the present legislature of the National Assembly. F. Pickup said that in the previous period the UN Development Program had realized 45 projects in Serbia, their value exceeding 100 million US dollars. I. Krapivina spoke of the OSCE Mission’s cooperation with the National Assembly, primarily with the parliamentary committees in charge of security, human and minority rights, and conveyed its readiness to continue with these activities.

National Assembly Deputy Speaker Vladimir Orlic thanked the UN Development Program for the objective assessment of the activities undertaken by the Serbian Government to fight the coronavirus epidemic, which were found to be timely and adequate. He praised the OSCE activities concerning the election process and their cooperation with the competent authorities in the Republic of Serbia.

The officials agreed to start preparations for the introductory seminar for new MPs immediately and, due to the epidemiological situation, to hold it online. Other possibilities for cooperation were also discussed, such as support for the work of the Women's Parliamentary Group, the Green Parliamentary Group, bringing the National Assembly closer to the citizens via parliamentary week, committee sittings outside the National Assembly seat, etc.