Serbia's outgoing Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Monday the defence of multilateralism begins at the national level, by protecting vital interests and priorities.

He added Serbia believed that by defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity it defended international law and the United Nations Charter.

Addressing the participants of the gathering ‘Multilateralism and International Security”, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the UN, Dacic said Serbia joined the call by the UN Secretary-General for a global ceasefire and cessation of all hostilities and conflicts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 At the gathering organised by the Faculty of Security at the University of Belgrade, Dacic said the crisis of multilateralism was visible in the international security, where international organisations and institutions had difficulties in effectively dealing with both traditional challenges and new threats.

“The world is facing significant changes in communication and technological development. New challenges such as terrorism, which are carried on by non-traditional players and informal groups, certainly affect international security,” Dacic said, adding the current pandemic crisis confirmed the need to redefine the concept of national and collective security.

He said Serbia “is proud about the former Yugoslavia’s active participation and contribution to the founding of the United Nations, and that it was among the first fifty countries that signed the UN Charter.”

Dacic added the Security Council, as one of the most important UN bodies, had a primary role in maintaining international peace, but also in collective deterrence from the illegal use of armed force in international relations.

“In the current circumstances, which have profoundly changed the world in which we live, Serbia wants to significantly contribute, bilaterally and multilaterally, to both world and regional security. We support the UN’s efforts to promote and preserve peace and security,” he said.

Dacic added Serbia was firmly committed to continuing to support global efforts in the fight against terrorism, primarily through the full implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, as well as through active participation in the Global Coalition against the Islamic State.