NEW YORK – Members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) welcomed the announced resumption of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina scheduled to take place on February 9 and 10 in Brussels, while expressing concern over the violence that broke out during the recent protests in Kosovo.
“With respect to the protests, let’s be clear: All citizens have the democratic right to protest, but violence is illegal and unacceptable. We condemn all acts of vandalism to public and private property and the intimidation of journalists and TV crews,” United States Ambassador to the United Nations David Pressman said during the debate on Kosovo late on Friday.
The use of violence against religious pilgrims, as we saw in Djakovica on Orthodox Christmas, is clearly unacceptable, the US ambassador added, referring to the stoning of a bus with displaced Serbs from Djakovica on their way to attend a church service and visit the graves of their loved ones.
The visit to Kosovo by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic in January is regarded as another step toward the normalization of relations, Pressman said.
The US representative commended Belgrade and Pristina for their commitment to the dialogue and expressed hope that the Monday’s meeting in Brussels will lead to concrete progress.
Michael Tatham of United Kingdom also expressed concern over the violence during the recent demonstrations in Pristina, and urged Kosovo authorities to do all they can to avoid violence and escalation.
The UK Ambassador to the UN wished success to Belgrade and Pristina in the forthcoming meeting in Brussels, noting that “continued progress at working level will be vital”, and stressed that “the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is integral to both countries’ European Union accession paths“.
He welcomed the formation of the new government in Pristina as an important step forward , noting that the new administration should focus on economic development, the rule of law, ensuring greater independence of the judiciary and tackling organized crime and corruption. He also encouraged all countries that have not yet recognized Kosovo to do so.
The representatives of United Kingdom, France and the Russian Federation underlined the importance of setting up a specialized court for the crimes committed by members of the former Kosovo Liberation Army in Kosovo.
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said that in the previous period no progress was made in Kosovo in the fields of judiciary, the fight against corruption and organized crime, adding that interethnic tensions still exist.
In this respect, he pointed to the ongoing desecration of Orthodox monasteries, and the stoning of the bus with Serb passengers in Djakovica.
He added that Moscow is concerned about the participation of Kosovo Albanians in the jihadist movements in Iraq and Syria.
Churkin stressed that Russia’s position on Kosovo remains unchanged, and that UNSC Resolution 1244 is considered as the key document.
Liu Jieyi, representing China, said that Beijing supports the territorial integrity of Serbia and the continuation of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina with an aim to find a sustainable solution.
Rafael Dario Ramirez Carreno of Venezuela reiterated that the international principle of territorial integrity must be respected and expressed support to the continuation of the dialogue, in order to reach a solution that would be acceptable for both sides in Kosovo.
The representative of Spain Roman Oyarzun Marchesi pointed to the recent protests and attacks on monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church, adding that it shows that full reconciliation between communities has not been achieved.
It is important to make fast progress in three areas – judiciary, property rights and full implementation of the Brussels Agreement, he said.
