On 7 and 8 September, PAM President, Hon. Pedro Roque, and Secretary General, Amb. Sergio Piazzi, paid an official visit to the Republic of Serbia.
The National Assembly of Serbia had assumed in Porto, last February, both a Vice-Presidency of PAM and the Presidency of its 3rd Standing Committee. The Serbian Assembly will also be hosting the PAM Plenary Session in February 2019.
High-level meetings took place at the National Assembly of Serbia with H.E. Ms Maja Gojkovic, the Speaker of the Parliament, with the senior members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and with the Serbian delegation to PAM. PAM representatives also met with H.E. Mr Nemanja Stevanovic, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
Discussions in Belgrade focused on the ongoing and scheduled activities of PAM in relation to Counter-Terrorism, Regional Security, Middle East, Libyan and Syrian crises, EU Enlargement, Trade Facilitation and Investments in the Western Balkans, Dialogue among cultures, Human Rights and Mass Migrations to Europe. On this specific issue, PAM acknowledged the unique humanitarian role played by Serbia in assisting hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and migrants who crossed its territory in recent years. Discussions also touched upon the key role of MPs in fostering regional economic cooperation, as a solid and shared foundation for stability and integration.
Already, at its Bureau meeting in Rome last December, PAM had decided to strengthen its efforts for and attention on the South Eastern European region. This priority had been further emphasised at both a meeting in South Africa between President Roque and President Gojkovic, as well as in Bratislava during a recent meeting between the new President of the UN General Assembly and PAM Secretary General.
The meetings in Belgrade have been also instrumental for PAM to fine-tune its knowledge of the many challenges being face by the region and consider options for a better-tailored regional cooperation through the instrument of parliamentary diplomacy.
PAM President concluded the visit with a lecture at the prestigious national Institute for International Politics and Economics in Belgrade.