The introductory lecture is the first in a series of international relations and diplomacy lectures intended for the MPs and Service employees.
At the beginning, the participants were addressed by the National Assembly Speaker, MA Nebojsa Stefanovic, who stressed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in presenting state interests and eradicating the bias against Serbia. Stefanovic stated that through parliamentary diplomacy, by direct contact, the MPs maintain and improve international relations with foreign parliamentarians. The National Assembly Speaker also emphasised the importance of the expert support the National Assembly Service offers the MPs in parliamentary diplomacy.
Prof. Dr Radmila Nakarada, Head of the International Studies Department at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, shared her pleasure at the development of cooperation between state institutions, especially the National Assembly and the academic community and international organisations.
Jan Lueneburg, the Head of Democratisation Department of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, spoke of the importance of parliamentary diplomacy, as did Assistant Foreign Minister Zoran Vujic who stressed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy for presenting political priorities and state interests and its importance for the European integration process and regional cooperation.
Part of the lecture was dedicated to the presentation of the Handbook on the Functioning of International Parliamentary Organisations intended for the MPs and Service employees, a joint effort of the National Assembly, Belgrade Faculty of Political Sciences and the OSCE Mission to Serbia. Dusan Maksic, Head of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Department, said that the Handbook was primarily intended for the new MPs who would be included in the National Assembly’s standing delegations for the first time, as well as the MPs who have already had the chance to take part in the delegation’s activities, as a “reminder”.
In the ensuing discussion, the MPs exchanged experiences gained from participating in the work of the National Assembly’s standing delegations and commended the Handbook which would prove very useful in their future efforts.