07/09/2010 Political Affairs and Democracy
Belgrade, 07.12.2010 – There have been many advances in reconciliation between the countries of the former Yugoslavia over the past few years, but bilateral relations are still fragile, with unresolved issues including territorial disputes and strong nationalistic rhetoric, according to the rapporteur on the topic of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Pietro Marcenaro (Italy, SOC).
In an introductory memorandum made public yesterday at a meeting of the PACE’s Political Affairs Committee in Belgrade, Mr Marcenaro said the ongoing process of EU integration was “potentially the most important incentive” to reconciliation – a point made earlier by representatives of the Serbian authorities and civil society. Priorities included promoting a public discourse about the war which departed from nationalist rhetoric, and seizing opportunities for regional dialogue and co-operation, he said.
Speaking at a hearing on peace-building efforts in the former Yugoslavia, Mr Marcenaro also warmly welcomed what he described as “a major political initiative” by a coalition of NGOs from different Balkan countries to create a regional truth and reconciliation commission, to be established by the political authorities with the participation of all interested parties. This proposal has recently attracted the public support of both the Croatian and Serbian Presidents.
Mr Marcenaro this week begins a series of meetings in different countries of the former Yugoslavia, before presenting his final report in early 2011.
Earlier in the day, the committee was welcomed by the Speaker of the Serbian Parliament Slavic Dukic-Dejanovic and the head of Serbia’s PACE delegation Professor Dragoljub Micunovic. It also held an exchange of views with Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister with responsibility for EU integration Božidar Ðelic, the Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Goran Bogdanovic and the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Mirko Stefanovic.