Kyriakos Hadjiyianni and Marina Raguš in Belgrade, 5 September 2024BELGRADE, 6 September 2024 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President and Special Representative on South East Europe Kyriakos Hadjiyianni (Cyprus) has been in Belgrade this week to gain first-hand insights from various institutions regarding the situation in Serbia and the region.

“South East Europe is important for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and we fully support the work of the OSCE Mission to Serbia,” said Hadjiyianni at the close of his two-day visit. “The ultimate goal of the countries in this region is to become members of the European Union. Every country is making progress on their European integration path, and in order to be more successful, they need to work together with their neighbors.”

From 4-6 September, Special Representative Hadjiyianni held meetings with the Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Ambassador Jan Braathu; members of the Serbian Delegation to the OSCE PA, Milan Radin and Danijela Vujičić; Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia, Marina Raguš; Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, Tomislav Žigmanov; Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petković; and President of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Academician Zoran Knežević.

He also engaged with representatives from leading civil society organizations, including Transparency Serbia, CRTA, and the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation.

During these meetings, Hadjiyianni underscored the role of the OSCE PA and highlighted his work as the Special Representative on South East Europe since his appointment last year. He emphasized the collaborative efforts with the OSCE PA Delegations from South East Europe, specifically mentioning the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of Delegations from South East Europe. He shared insights from the first forum held in Tirana and previewed the upcoming forum in Podgorica.

Jan Braathu and Kyriakos Hadjiyianni in Belgrade, 5 September 2024“There is strong co-operation between the governments of South East European countries; however, co-operation among parliamentarians from the OSCE PA delegations is necessary and adds value in ensuring stability and fostering a better future for the region,” said Hadjiyianni. “By working together, parliamentarians from the region not only build trust among themselves but also learn how to address common challenges across their respective countries.”

Vice-President Hadjiyianni informed his interlocutors about the upcoming visit of OSCE PA President Pia Kauma, who will be accompanied by a delegation of parliamentarians in October. The purpose of the visit is to familiarize the OSCE PA parliamentarians with the work of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, with plans to visit other OSCE Field Operations in the future.

Special Representative Kyriakos Hadjiyianni will report to the OSCE PA President on his visit to Serbia during the upcoming Autumn Meeting in Dublin.

For more information on the work of the Special Representative on South East Europe, please click here.