A decision on Kosovo’s membership in Interpol would split this international organisation, Nebojsa Stefanovic, Serbia’s Interior Minister, told the Conference on National Security in Belgrade on Wednesday, N1 reported.
He added that the Interpol General Assembly due next week in Chile was one of the biggest challenges for Serbia.
Last November, Kosovo did not become an Interpol member and Pristina blamed Belgrade for an anti-Kosovo campaign, retaliating with the 100 percent import duties on goods from Serbia and Bosnia, the move that put the Belgrade – Pristina dialogue on the normalisation of relations on hold for almost a year.
“Serbia’s delegation that I will head in Chile will do everything to protect the professionalism and integrity of Interpol, the respect of the resolution saying that only UN member and non-member observer states can join Interpol, but also the respect of the UN Security Council Resolution 1244,” which was neutral regarding Kosovo’s status, Stefanovic said.
He added that “we have to follow police rules. We must not allow that police organisation decide politically whether an arrest warrant will be accepted or not.” Stefanovic said that Serbia’s police had been one of the most wanted Interpol partners in the last five years.
“We struck a decisive and serious blow to drug mafia and all other members of the organised criminal groups,” he added.
