Opening the roundtable, the Speaker of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Sergei Naryshkin, listed the key problems of the modern world such as terrorism, drug trafficking, Islamic fundamentalism and the crisis in Ukraine which led to the isolation and destabilisation of Russia. He compared the situation in Kosovo-Metohija, a precedent in international law, to the one in the Crimea where 70% of the people voted in favour of joining Russia. One of the main problems in international relations is the loss of trust between the West and the East which has an impact on relations between states. Last week’s statements by European officials that Serbia should join the sanctions against Russia or it will not be able to join the EU is arrogant and uncivilised and does not contribute to the development of trust in international relations.
Speaking immediately after State Duma Speaker Naryshkin, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Veroljub Arsic underlined the importance and complexity of the current political moment in the region, which provides a good opportunity to improve multilateral cooperation. Arsic said that the Republic of Serbia endorses active political contacts where current international issues can be discussed in an atmosphere of mutual trust so as to come to an agreement on joint actions. Assembly Deputy Speaker Arsic said that the existing strategic partnership between Serbia and the Russian Federation provides an excellent framework for the further development of relations and finding best models and solutions to all open issues.
“In 2015 the Republic of Serbia takes over the chairmanship of the OSCE during which it will strive to employ open and constructive dialogue to achieve agreements and sustainable solutions. We remain committed to the EU accession process, but we believe that the policy of pressure and sanctions is not the right way to do it”, stressed Deputy Speaker Arsic adding that sanctions are never the way to achieve peace and cannot be a goal unto themselves.
He again thanked the Russian officials for their principled support as regards the Kosovo issue which Russia continues to demonstrate on the international scene by insisting that UN Security Council Resolution 1244 be respected.
“By taking a pro-active role in society our parliaments can also greatly contribute to the creation of better living conditions for our citizens and help build trust among people as the groundwork for a common future”, concluded National Assembly Deputy Speaker Veroljub Arsic.
The International Roundtable in Moscow is attended by MPs from 20 countries, leading scientists and experts, as well as representatives of social policy circles.