NATO and EU officials, experts and parliamentarians will discuss the future of Serbia and Kosovo in a seminar organised by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) in Brussels on 21 June at the CEPS Conference room.

The resolution of KosovoÂ’s status and the future evolution of Serbia are the key to long-term stability in the Balkans and in Europe as a whole.  They are also important tests for NATO and the EU, which have recently decided to enhance their co-operation with Serbia and are expected to play a central role in post-settlement arrangements for Kosovo.

Serbia is at a crossroads domestically and in its relations with NATO and the EU.  Yet the critical deliberations over KosovoÂ’s final status are at an impasse.  The seminar therefore will address the priorities of the new Serbian government; ongoing negotiations over Kosovo's final status; the current and future roles of NATO and the EU towards both Serbia and Kosovo, and the need for co-operation between the two organisations.

Confirmed speakers include Goran Svilanovic, former Foreign Minister of Serbia and Montenegro, Sabine Freizer, ICG Europe programme director, Tim Judah, independent journalist, Jamie Shea, Head of Policy Planning at NATO, Ambassador Branislav Milinkovic, SerbiaÂ’s Special Envoy to NATO, and members of the Assembly of Kosovo.

For further information, please contact

 e-mail: Press@nato-pa.int

NATO Parliamentary Assembly

Place du Petit Sablon 3, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

Tél: (32) 2 513 28 65 | Fax: (32) 2 514 18 47 |

website: http:// www.nato-pa.int |

Background

 The NATO Parliamentary Assembly, founded in 1955 with a Brussels-based secretariat,

brings together 248 national parliamentarians from the 26 NATO countries.

In addition, 16 associate delegations from Central and Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Russia;

5 Mediterranean Associate delegations: Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, Mauritania and Israel

and 6 Parliamentary Observer delegations participate in Assembly activities and meetings.