For OSCE, the issue of stability in the region and Macedonia is of paramount importance and all available capacities need to be used to this end, stated the current OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic at Wednesday’s joint press conference with Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Poposki.

“OSCE is an organization dealing with three dimensions – political-military and security, the second one is economic and the last one refers to issues on human rights and democratic institutions, issues on national minorities, discrimination, etc. It is crucial to see what has been done and what needs to be done in view of the implementation of the Ohrid Accord. OSCE is prepared to offer its good will to mediate, especially in terms of these political issues, if naturally there is such an issue, and if there is a need for such a thing in the host country,” Dacic said at a press conference after a meeting with PM Nikola Gruevski.

According to him, the issue of European and regional security is vital, especially in our region and in this part of Europe, including the issue of stability in Macedonia.

“Utmost efforts should be made to solve all the problems that could additionally complicate matters. Understandably, problems that are major and that hinder EU integration processes should be also settled. We need to deal with these matters openly and the international community has to take a more active stance,” noted Dacic.

If the European perspective is missing from the agenda of a country, then it stops being encouraging, according to him. Therefore, he added, OSCE will keep on making steps, which will be considered solely as assistance for the countries where the organization has deployed missions.

Answering a journalist question regarding the wire-tapping scandal, he said it was important to find out the whole truth and to discuss the issue openly in the country.

“I have no information that might clarify the legal circumstances of the issue. Speaking in my capacity as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, it is important to find out the whole truth and the issue to be openly discussed in your country by your bodies. Such activities could bring about some instability that must be prevented and it is your responsibility on how to act in such a situation. For me, the key question is how some of the state top officials can be wire-tapped. Is it authorized or unauthorized… If it is unauthorized, everyone knows what needs to be done. It is another question regarding the objectives and I wouldn’t like to go any deeper,” stated Dacic.

Also, he responded affirmatively when asked whether this case and the current situation in Macedonia were covered by OSCE’s mandate.

“Everything falls in the domain of OSCE activities because it is in relation to the rule of law and human rights and liberties. If needs be, OSCE is prepared to mediate in order the best solutions to be found,” Dacic stressed.

FM Poposki expressed satisfaction with regional cooperation being high on the agenda of Serbia’s OSCE chairmanship, especially considering the fact that Serbia was familiar with the situation in the region. Expressing support to OSCE projects on the strengthening of regional cooperation, Poposki said they discussed the issue with fighters going abroad, the Ukraine crisis and OSCE’s role in Macedonia.

“We appreciate the role of OSCE in Macedonia and its support to reform processes in several areas in relation to, amongst other things, our EU integration bid. We’ve also discussed further steps set to be made in this cooperation with OSCE in all the areas covered by its mandate,” said Poposki adding that Macedonia had excellent cooperation with all OSCE institutions, including ODIHR, the representative for the freedom of media, the high commissioner for national minorities, etc.

During his visit to Macedonia, Dacic also met with President Gjorge Ivanov, Deputy PM Musa Xhaferi and Education and Science Minister Abdilaqim Ademi.