The participants, MPs and employees of the National Assembly Service, were addressed by Prof. Dr Radmila Nakarada, of the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, who presented the basic characteristics of modern states in the conditions of their growing interdependence. Professor Nakarada stressed that parliaments and parliamentary diplomacy play an important role in the prevention of conflicts, addressing them in a non-violent manner and in building peace after a conflict.
Dr Branislav Milanovic, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to NATO, shared his experience stemming from cooperation with the National Assembly’s standing delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. He stressed that the complexity of the world we live in lends greater significance to parliamentary diplomacy. Milanovic also briefed the participants on the NATO PA’s method of operation and tasks.
Nikola Lazic, former member of the National Assembly’s standing delegation to the NATO PA, spoke of his experience in parliamentary diplomacy and its scope. He stressed how important it is for a parliamentary delegation to have a unified stand when important matters of state are on the agenda of parliamentary organisations.
In his address, Dr Zoran Milivojevic, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke of the history and results of the activities of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the oldest parliamentary organisation.
The addresses were followed by a short discussion in which the MPs exchanged opinions with the lecturers.
Today’s lecture was the second in a series of lectures intended for MPs and Service employees on the activities of the National Assembly’s standing delegations to international parliamentary organisations.