Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 26 January (BelTA) – The interparliamentary dialogue between Belarus and Serbia is gaining momentum. Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko made the statement as he met with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, BelTA has learned.

According to Vladimir Andreichenko, parliamentary diplomacy should play an exceptionally great role in advancing mutually beneficial ties between countries. “Interparliamentary dialogue has been gaining good momentum in the last few years and we are coming up with some new forms of cooperation,” he said.

The head of the lower chamber of the Belarusian parliament noted that the parliaments of Belarus and Serbia continue the good tradition of creating friendship groups. The group in the Serbian parliament includes 117 MPs. The number indicates the strong interest of the Serbian parliament in cooperation with Belarus. A friendship group on cooperation with the Serbian parliament has been created in the Belarusian parliament as well. “I think we should come up with new forms of interaction. It is necessary to more closely cooperate with the executive power. It is necessary to submit proposals, ideas, and projects. It would be a good idea for the two friendship groups to hold a joint session although without including all the members,” believes Vladimir Andreichenko. He added that it is necessary to take a more active part in the operation of the Belarus-Serbia intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation among other things. It is particularly true because there are many contact points such as agriculture, mechanical engineering, healthcare, and education.

The Belarusian parliament is familiar with the roadmap on developing cooperation in 2017-2018, which the sides signed on 26 January. “We fully share the approaches the document stipulates. The parliamentarians intend to work hard to implement the ideas the roadmap lays down,” assured Vladimir Andreichenko.

Belarus takes a serious approach to cooperation in international organizations. It is necessary to step up Belarus-Serbia interaction in international organizations and it is necessary to seek new forms. A session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will take place in Minsk in July. It will be a good venue for negotiations where the sides will be able to sketch out some ways of future interaction. The head of the lower chamber of the Belarusian parliament said he expects that a delegation of the Serbian parliament will take an active part in the work of this respected international organization.

Vladimir Andreichenko remarked that Belarusians respect Serbia and its nation. The relations are based on friendship, mutual understanding, and mutually beneficial cooperation. All in all, Serbia is a key partner for Belarus in the Balkans. “I am convinced that your visit, negotiations with the government, the important documents that have been signed will undoubtedly make a tangible contribution to the advancement of cooperation between our countries, to raising the living standards of our nations, will promote peace, stability and security in Europe. The kind relations that have evolved between our heads of state, mutual support for each other in international platforms confirm it,” concluded Vladimir Andreichenko.