DPM Lukšić participates in 69th Session of UN General Assembly in New York

New York, the USA (26 September 2014) -- On the sidelines of the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly, Montenegro’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Igor Lukšić participated in the ministerial meeting of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), as well as the meeting dedicated to the French proposal on the establishment of a code of conduct for veto use, and the meeting of the so called UN LGBT Core Group. Minister Lukšić also took part in the meeting which was organised for the Western Balkan states on how to deal with the challenge of foreign fighters.

SEECP informal ministerial meeting, also attended by European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbouring Policy Štefan Füle, and Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Goran Svilanović, addressed the current situation in the region and mechanisms for advancement of regional cooperation that will further encourage its overall development. 

The meeting's participants highlighted the significance of focusing on project-oriented cooperation, as well as on connecting national investment strategies with regional priorities, with special emphasis on infrastructure and energy projects of common interest.

The ministerial meeting, sponsored by France and Mexico, which discussed the French proposal on the establishment of a code of conduct for veto use in cases of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, was an opportunity for many countries, including Montenegro, to support the initiative aiming to improve international peace and security, and protect human life and rights. The initiative wants to avoid cases of paralysis of the Security Council and its inability to provide responses to crisis situations, due to veto on veto use.

Montenegro's head of diplomacy Lukšić took part in the ministerial meeting of the so-called UN LGBT Core Group. The panel, which was held within the meeting, attended by Ki-Mun, Secretary General of the UN, John Kerry, US Secretary of State, as well as Hector Timerman and Frans Timmermans, foreign ministers of Argentina and the Netherlands, stressed the need to intensify activities aimed at protecting rights of the LGBT community globally.

The meeting, organised by the United States, on dealing with the challenge of foreign fighters was an opportunity to look at ways to prevent this phenomenon. The issue of foreign fighters takes central stage of the United States' presidency of the Security Council this month. Montenegro is willing, at both national level and in cooperation with the countries of the region, to implement activities that will strengthen the framework for preventing activities of foreign terrorist fighters. All the participants made a commitment to undertake a series of measures which will contribute to global efforts in curbing one of the major security challenges in the world.