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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Cooperation of UNODC, Serbia at high level

Belgrade, 24 May 2011

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic said today that the Ministry of the Interior and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have collaborated successfully on various projects in the past and expressed readiness for improving this cooperation.

Ivica Dacic and William Infante

Author: Tanjug

After the meeting with UNODC representative Dagmar Thomas, Dacic pointed out that it is a strategic interest of Serbia to improve partnership with international organisations and institutions involved in the fight against crime.

During the meeting with Thomas, which was also attended by UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia William Infante, Dacic proposed that the UNODC opens a regional office in Belgrade because this would contribute to strengthening the capacity of our country in the fight against drugs, crime and terrorism.

The Deputy Prime Minister said he proposed that a regional conference on the fight against terrorism and preventing the financing of terrorist activities be organised in Belgrade in late June, and underlined that the Serbian government is committed to dealing seriously with this problem.

He recalled that as part of cooperation between the Serbian Interior Ministry and the UNODC, the Memorandum on the establishment of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) was signed last year in Vienna.

As for cooperation with the international community, Dacic said that during the upcoming visit to Belgrade by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, two agreements on security will be signed.

Dacic said that he is to sign an agreement on exchanging security information, while Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic will sign an agreement on the participation of the Serbian Army and police in EU peace missions.

Their participation will be limited to a smaller number because of financial restrictions, but Serbia is interested to show that it wants to be part of the European security system in this way, too, as it has only participated in UN missions so far.

Thomas said that Serbia has made huge progress in adopting legal regulations and establishing institutions that combat trade in narcotics, terrorism and organised crime.

She observed that UNODC’s cooperation with Serbia in the fight against terrorism, drugs and organised crime is at a very high level and that the UN must acknowledge Serbia’s success in these projects so far.

The UNODC recognised the Serbian interior ministry’s successful work in these areas, as well as in the struggle against trafficking in human beings, she added.

Thomas noted that the meeting also looked at improving and expanding cooperation onto other remits, as there is room for this, particularly emphasising struggle against corruption.