BELGRADE, December 30 (Sputnik) — The first conference of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) under the Serbian chairmanship will be held on January 15, Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said.
"The first conference of the Permanent Council of the OSCE which I will chair will be held on January 15," Dadic told reporters on Monday.
Following the conference, a series of bilateral meetings will take place, the minister added.
"We will do our best to be a reliable chair, trusted by all sides, and to take appropriate measures for de-escalation of the conflicts existing all over the globe, from Vladivostok to Vancouver,” Dadic vowed.
The OSCE presidency rotates annually and the post of Chairperson-in-Office is held by a Foreign Minister of one of the organization's 57 participating nations. Currently the OSCE is chaired by Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter.
Last week, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier stated that Serbia may become "an honest broker" as it is "very engaged on the European road with traditionally strong ties with Moscow."
Dadic has repeatedly stated that de-escalation of the crisis in Ukraine will be the main priority of Serbia's chairmanship of the OSCE, which plays an important role in mediating the negotiations between Kiev and the breakaway regions in the country's south-east.
