At the third sitting, held on 6 November, the Foreign Affairs Committee conducted an interview with the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Great Britain, Prof. Dr Dejan Popovic, before his departure for diplomatic duty. The sitting was chaired by Prof. Dr Dragoljub Micunovic.

Presenting the programme of his future activities, Ambassador Popovic pointed out the necessity to essentially further bilateral relations with Great Britain, a permanent member of the UN Security Council with special ties to the USA and one of the most influential members of the European Union. Considering that Serbia has not had an ambassador in this country since June 2006, its Embassy in London will now face important and delicate tasks.

Popovic stated that Great Britain in principle advocates EU expansion, but where Serbia’s accession is concerned it is necessary to put effort to remove certain reservations existing, above all, within the British political establishment. These reservations are most apparent in the fact that the UK supported the requests of the Kosovo Albanians and immediately recognised the self-proclaimed “Republic of Kosovo”. Considering that the UK endeavors that the reconfiguration of UNMIK essentially comes down to its being replaced by EULEX, diplomatic contacts will convey the position that Serbia in principle wants a European presence in Kosovo-Metohija, only not in the form of the rejected Ahtisaari plan, but with the UN’s permission and within the limits of SC Resolution 1244, of neutral status.

The Ambassador stressed that Serbia’s diplomatic message is slowly coming through, that the Kosovo issue should be transferred onto a legal terrain and the centres of world diplomacy, such as London.

Ambassador Popovic said that about 30 bilateral agreements with the UK are in force, and that special effort should be put into harmonising the agreements on legal aid, as well as completing the negotiations on the avoidance of double taxation.

He said that the UK takes a modest share in Serbia’s goods exchange and there lies the potential for the increase of Serbia’s export. Direct British investment is tied into industry and should be encouraged, while investment into the financial sector is low. Popovic believes that the improvement of economic cooperation, especially direct investment, is the pre-condition for the improvement of bilateral political relations.

One of the tasks will be informing the British business and general public on the progress in the creation of favourable conditions for foreign investors, Serbia’s tourist, export etc. potential. Ambassador Dejan Popovic emphasised that the accent in the cooperation with the diaspora, totaling in over 30 000 expatriates, will be on improving the contacts, above all, with the young members of the third wave of emigrants, well positioned in academic and business circles.

The Committee members deemed that the relations between the two countries should be raised to a higher level, and that Serbia needs a bold diplomatic presence especially in countries which were included in the recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo-Metohija. Better cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries should greatly contribute to it.

However, some Committee members criticised sending an ambassador to a country that was among the first to recognise the independence of Kosovo and now advocates the deployment of EULEX in the province.

The Committee went on to discuss and endorse the Proposal of the memorandum of understanding between UNICEF and the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

At the sitting, the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee accepted the initiatives for the participation of the National Assembly’s delegations in several international gatherings. Thus, the members of the NA permanent delegation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union will participate in the Conference on Legal Reform and Human Rights, organised by UNICEF and the European Commission, with the support of IPU, held in New York 19 November, as well as the Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations, also held in New York on 20 and 21 November.

Serbian delegations will also participate in other gatherings organised by IPU: the Parliamentary Hearing on the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Doha (Qatar) from 29 November to 2 December, as well as the Third Conference for Members of Parliamentary Committees on the Status of Women and Gender Equality Issues, held in Geneva from 2 to 4 December.

Also, the Committee accepted invitations for the participation of the National Assembly’s delegations in the 51 session of the Assembly of the Western European Union in Paris from 2 to 4 December and the work of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Central European Initiative in Kishinev from 17 to 19 November. In addition, an invitation was accepted for the participation in the Regional Parliamentary Seminar “Role of Parliamentarians in the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents”, organised by IPU and UNICEF, held in Tirana, on 14 and 15 November.

Also, several reports on realised visits and contacts of the deputies with foreign parliamentarians and diplomatic representatives were accepted at the sitting.