The seminar was attended by parliamentarians from 23 member countries and nine associate countries of the NATO PA, regional partners, delegations with observer status, representatives of the diplomatic corps, representatives of the Government and other state institutions of the Republic of Serbia, international organisations, academic community, civil society, NATO PA International Secretariat and media representatives.
On the behalf of the National Assembly, the participants of the seminar were greeted by the Head of the delegation to NATO PA Dragan Sormaz who said he was pleased to see the National Assembly play host to the Rose-Roth Seminar for the third time, reminding the assembly that this year was the 60th anniversary of the NATO PA.
The participants of the seminar were then addressed by Minister of Foreign Affairs and OSCE Chairperson Ivica Dacic who said that regional cooperation is one of Serbia’s foreign policy priorities, adding that the country had in the previous period clearly demonstrated its dedication to fostering good-neighbourly relations and constructive dialogue in the region. Good regional cooperation is a pre-requisite for the region’s European integration and an important factor of economic progress and improvement of the people’s living standards, said Minister Dacic.
Stressing that Serbia’s first strategic priority is EU accession, supported by broad political and social consensus, Dacic confirmed that Serbia sees it as a historic chance for development, and the Government of the Republic of Serbia expects even stronger support of the EU member states in the Euro-integration process and a speedy opening of the first negotiation chapters.
Speaking of Serbia’s cooperation with NATO, Dacic said that Serbia is a military neutral country and does not strive to join NATO, but sees room for further development of cooperation within the Partnership for Peace mechanism. Serbia recognises NATO’s role in the regional security system, first and foremost in the maintenance of peace and safety of the Serbian people in Kosovo-Metohija, and wants to be a reliable interlocutor with NATO for the purpose of maintaining peace and stability in the region, concluded the Serbian Foreign Minister.

In the opening session, on the behalf of the MPs and the National Assembly Speaker, the participants were addressed by National Assembly Deputy Speaker MA Igor Becic who said that the gathering is an excellent opportunity to discuss regional matters, among them the fight against corruption and crime, and that he hoped the 88th Rose-Roth Seminar would help deepen the cooperation between the parliamentarians, representatives of NATO PA member countries.
NATO PA Vice-President Paolo Alli also gave opening remarks, saying that the seminar comes at a time when Europe is going through the most dangerous crisis in its history. He stressed that he firmly believed that Serbia’s future lies in Euro-Atlantic integration, but that it is a decision for Serbia’s citizens to make. Paolo Alli said he understood the Serbian citizens’ worries about Euro-Atlantic integration, stating that the people’s questions and doubts should be answered in a transparent manner.
Swiss Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro H.E. Jean-Daniel Ruch conveyed Switzerland’s support of parliamentary seminars hoping that the dialogues that would take place in the course of this one would result in new ideas and offer solutions for the new challenges in the region and other parts of the world.
The last keynote speaker was Senior Vice President for Programs of the German Marshall Fund of the United States Ivan Vejvoda who spoke about the Western Balkans’ development prospects and the importance of the European Union peace project.
In the ensuing discussion, the parliamentarians exchanged views on peace and stability and confidence-building measures in the region and the world.

In the first session, with the topic “Serbia in the Euro-Atlantic Community”, the participants were addressed by State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Zoran Djordjevic who said that the Republic of Serbia had signed three international treaties with NATO. He added that the signing of the Individual Partnership Action Plan between Serbia and NATO is the highest degree of cooperation with a partner state that is not committed to NATO membership, and drew attention to Serbia’s excellent cooperation with KFOR at all levels. He also pointed out the increased presence of Serbian Armed Forces in the EU and UN peace missions.
State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Roksanda Nincic spoke about the activities of the Republic of Serbia in the process of European integration, with a special focus on the importance of opening the negotiation chapters and Serbia’s dedication to good regional cooperation.

In the continuation of the session, the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport said that, when it comes to the enlargement policy toward the Western Balkans, the candidate countries, including Serbia, focus their efforts on the rule of law, judiciary, suppression of corruption, anti-discrimination and freedom of the media. He added that economic management and empowerment and improvement of public administration are areas of interest. The dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is the key issue for the European Union, said Davenport. He also commended Serbia’s marked progress in the European integration process. As per the conclusions of the European Council, it is the European Union’s clear message that Europe will only be truly united once the candidate countries become full EU members, said Davenport.
Slovak Ambassador to Serbia Jan Varso shared his country’s experiences of the Euro-Atlantic integration process, and the gathering was also addressed by Belgrade Security Forum Programme Director Marko Savkovic who spoke about Serbia’s participation in regional initiatives.

In the second session – “The Western Balkans and Euro-Atlantic Integration”, the participants were addressed by the Head of the Serbian Mission to NATO Miomir Udovicki, Romanian Ambassador to NATO Stelian Stoian, Executive Director of the Centre for Euro-Atlantic Studies Jelena Milic and the President of the Atlantic Council of Montenegro Savo Kentera
Miomir Udovicki said that Serbia is committed to cooperation and peace in the region, which is one of the priorities of its foreign policy. Improving regional cooperation and the reconciliation process are the tools to finding common interest, said Udovicki. The Western Balkans is part of the European community and we are sure that closer ties in the region would speed up European and Euro-Atlantic integration for the countries which consider them priorities, stresses Udovicki. He said that Serbia is a military neutral country and is not attempting to join NATO, but still sees room for further development of cooperation within the Partnership for Peace. Reconciliation, readiness to forgive, recognise one’s own mistakes and use compromise to resolve the open issue are the key to progress, concluded Udovicki.
Stelian Stoian pointed out the importance of Euro-Atlantic integration and NATO’s open door policy. He stressed the need to suppress all attempts to revitalise the cold war divisions and foster good relations with the partner states. Romania endorses Serbia’s cooperation with NATO and its accession to the European Union, said the Romanian Ambassador to NATO.

On the second day of the seminar the participants met in four sessions to discuss the topics of regional cooperation in the Western Balkans, the common challenge of foreign fighters in the Middle East and North Africa, the fight against corruption and organized crime in the Western Balkans and defence management reform and integrity building.
Dimitar Bechev of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Janez Kopac, Energy Community Director, and Julian Popov of the European Climate Foundation spoke of regional cooperation in the Western Balkans.
Aleksandar Djordjevic, Director of the Security Information Agency, Sulejman Ugljanin, National Assembly MP and President of the National Council of the Bosnian National Minority, Esad Hecimovic, editor of OBN TV from Sarajevo, and Raffaello Pantucci of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) spoke of the common challenge of foreign fighters in the Middle East and North Africa.
In one of the sessions, the participants of the seminar discussed the fight against corruption and organized crime in the Western Balkans. Addressing the participants, Serbian Minister of Interior Nebojsa Stefanovic said that corruption and organized crime are the biggest security risks of the modern age, not just in the region, but in the entire world. He presented the activities the Serbian police had undertaken in the previous period in the fight against corruption and organized crime, and the regional cooperation realized in the field. Goran Svilanovic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council emphasized the importance of regional cooperation in the fight against corruption and organized crime and the activities conducted by the Regional Cooperation Council. Sonja Stojanovic Gajic, Director of the Belgrade Center for Security Policy, also spoke of the fight against corruption and organized crime in the Western Balkans.
The topic of defence management reform and integrity building was tackled by Alberto Bin, Director of Integration, Partnership and Co-operation of the NATO Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, Todor Tagarev of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), and Brigadier General Slobodan Joksimovic, Head of the Serbian Ministry of Defence.

The topic of the session on the third day of the seminar was “The Brussels dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina: The Way Forward”.
The participants were addressed by Marko Djuric, Director of the Office for Kosovo-Metohija, who said that the chief goal of the Brussels Agreement is finding a solution that would normalize the life of all who live in Kosovo-Metohija and create an environment conducive to the survival and prosperity of the Serbian community. Djuric pointed out that some elements of the Agreement have not been realized and stressed the Serbian side’s readiness to be a constructive factor in the building of peace and security in the region.
Dr Karl A. Lamers, Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on NATO Partnerships, Dusan Janjic of the Institute of Social Sciences, and Krenar Gashi of Ghent University, also spoke on the topic.
The delegation members discussed the role of dialogue in the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina and promotion of cooperation in the Western Balkans as an issue of common interest for the Euro-integration of the region. They also discussed the status of Kosovo-Metohija, autonomy of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija and the protection of human and minority rights.
Concluding the 88th Rose-Roth Seminar, the Head of the Serbian delegation Dragan Sormaz thanked the participants on the constructive dialogue, saying that despite its military neutrality, Serbia is not politically neutral and wishes to become a full-fledged member of the European Union. Dragan Sormaz noted that, their progress notwithstanding, the Western Balkans states should continue to work on improving mutual cooperation so as to the ensure economic prosperity and better life for all the citizens of the region.