Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic told TV Pink the aim of Belgrade is to bring down the number of states that recognized unilaterally declared Kosovo independence below 97, adding that Somalia is on the way to reconsider its decision as well.
“Our aim is that the number drops below 97, respectively less than half of the UN member states,” Dacic told TV Pink, saying it is also the aim, so Pristina, when it comes to the voting would have no perspective to pass.
Dacic said initially there was a list of 116, respectively 118 states that Pristina posted on the website claiming they have recognized it, and Belgrade starting from it determined that 3 countries in fact never recognized Kosovo, and these countries are Nigeria, Uganda and Mali.
He also recalled that 14 countries, thanks to the diplomatic activities of Belgrade, have revoked recognitions of Kosovo, and the last one was the Central African Republic.
He also noted there are states such as Egypt and Peru, whose recognitions are frozen.
Dacic also spoke about the situation related to Somaliland in Somalia, that also declared independence.
“Somaliland is Somalia’s Kosovo, and I told them that by recognizing Kosovo, they worked to their detriment, and they said they were not aware of it (recognition),” Dacic said, adding it later turned out (the decision) was made during the technical government.
“Somalia is on the way to reconsider its decision,” Dacic noted.
Speaking about the Special Court for KLA crimes, Dacic said he is not a major optimist, but one should start from a positive fact that the court in The Hague has started to work. He said Serbia was constructive and handed over all data.
According to him, it would be very bad if everything would serve as a farce so Ramush Haradinaj could score political points. Dacic also underlined it was established that the previous Tribunal for the war crimes in the former Yugoslavia was biased, did not prosecute KLA crimes, and in cases where it did, witnesses were getting killed, even if they had a witness status.
