Ambassador Mirkovic said that the Embassy in Kazakhstan was opened last year and he would be Serbia’s first diplomatic representative in the country. He stressed that among his efforts he would prioritize improving political dialogue and mutual familiarization, as well as strengthening economic cooperation. Kazakhstan is one of the most important countries of central Asia which is turning toward reindustrialization, construction of highways and apartments, said Mirkovic deeming that the Serbian economy has a lot of interest in participating in these affairs. He mentioned that Serbia should export food onto this vast market and broach the issue of direct investment into Serbia with Kazakh partners.

The new Serbian Ambassador to Spain Danko Prokic stressed that the relations between the two countries are on a constant rise and that, despite the economic crisis, Spain is the fourth country in the Euro zone by its economic power.

The new ambassadors stressed that Kazakhstan and Spain had not recognised the self-proclaimed independence of Kosovo-Metohija, which is contrary to international law.

The Committee members accepted the new ambassadors’ activity programmes and wished them success.

On the occasion, the Committee members had many questions about the efficiency of Serbia’s diplomatic representatives abroad and, in connection with it, proposed to invite Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic to one of the upcoming sittings. He would also inform the Committee about the steps the Government was undertaking to preserve the visa-free regime with the European Union.

The Committee members discussed several issues related to the National Assembly’s parliamentary cooperation in the upcoming period. They accepted the invitation by the Croatian Sabor to a meeting on the organisation of the Conference of Foreign Affairs Committees of the countries in the region to be held at the Croatian Sabor on 18 or 19 October this year. They also accepted the invitation to send a National Assembly delegation to the International Conference on “The role of parliaments in the European integration process: Constitutional and legislative changes". The Conference will be organised by the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, on 29 and 30 October 2012.

The Committee accepted the invitation to the joint meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and European Parliament, on 6 November 2012, in Brussels, as well as the initiative for a visit by the Russian Duma’s Foreign Affairs Committee to the National Assembly in late November this year, and a visit by the Australian Parliament’s House of Representatives and Senate. The Australian delegation, which will be visiting Serbia between 20 and 28 January 2013, will be headed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Peter Slipper.

They also accepted the invitation by the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus to take part in the Conference of Agriculture Committee Chairpersons, to be held on 11 and 12 November, and the invitation of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy sent to the Chairman of the Committee on Finance, State Budget and Control of Public Spending to take part in the Second Conference of the Regional Network of Parliament Committees for Economy and Finance of the Western Balkans Countries. The gathering will take place from 26 to 28 October in Milocer, Montenegro.

As part of the regular activities of the National Assembly’s standing delegations, the Committee accepted invitations for participation in the Working Group on the PABSEC Rules of Procedure on 2 November 2012 in Istanbul, initiative to hold the 41st Meeting of the Cultural, Educational and Social Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation in Serbia, from 6 to 7 November 2013, as well as a visit by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Subcommittee to the United Nations on the occasion of the 67th session of the UN General Assembly and IPU interparliamentary hearing at the United Nations, from 5 to 7 December 2012.

The Committee also accepted several reports on the parliamentary visits and contacts realised in the pervious period.

The Committee sitting was chaired by Milos Aligrudic, Committee Chairman.