I am very happy because of the great global support we have received since the beginning of this process. We started in January with our positive information campaign, focused on Kosovo’s needs related to education, science, climate change, culture.
Last week, 44 countries supported the request of the Republic of Kosovo to include the membership in UNESCO as a part of the agenda of the Executive Board. If you look the agenda of this committee in recent years, it is a record number of countries which are cosignatory of the initiative and this shows that there is a broad argument in the world that Kosovo should not remain isolated, but integrated into the international community, said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaci in an interview with Danas commenting on the latest moves of the international community in connection with the application of Kosovo for membership in UNESCO.
How do you comment recent official Belgrade’s reactions on Kosovo’s possible membership in that organization?
– Reactions are in conflict with the Brussels Agreement, and in certain parts are also unacceptable. We sent a protest note to all members because of the language used by Serbian officials, which is completely unacceptable. Serbian ambassador to Paris called for a kind of the Christian front against Kosovo, which is mildly speaking, very extremist reactions. I think most of the countries of UNESCO appreciate that we are not engaged in a similar negative campaign, and, to tell the truth, I do not care about Serbian tactics, I’m focused on collecting votes for the young people of Kosovo to obtain the same opportunities as all other young people around the world, by participating in a global body dedicated to culture, education, science.
What Kosovo plans to do next when it comes to lobbying for membership in UNESCO?
– We have a well-developed strategy that consisted of several stages. Now we will focus on how to get a positive recommendation of the Executive Board in October and then also a two-thirds majority in November. We have distributed thousands of materials, books, publications and we will continue to provide appropriate information from Kosovo. We are much honoured that we were supported by so many states.
How do you see the outcome of the last phase of the Brussels dialogue?
– In fact, the last phase of the Brussels Treaty was related to the fact that Serbia finally accepts the Ahtisaari plan. They have wasted seven years, but now, step by step, they are accepting all elements of the Ahtisaari plan. You wonder why they needed so much time, but as we say in the Balkans, better late than never. Implementation is the key, and also is vital behaviour in accordance with the Brussels Agreement. In Brussels, the Serbian government is very willing to show neighbourly manners towards Kosovo, but then in Paris or New York, they continue to use the language of the Milosevic past. I understand pre-election period in Serbia, and as always they are using Kosovo to gain the nationalist points in public, but as we have seen in Brussels, Kosovo and Serbia increasingly cement their interaction as two independent states. The energy system will now operate in accordance with Kosovo law, the telecommunication system will be integrated into the regulatory network of Kosovo and the Community (of Serbian municipalities) will function without executive powers, within the framework of the Constitution of Kosovo.
What is happening in connection with the formation of the armed forces of Kosovo? Do you expect from some of Serbian deputies in the Kosovo Parliament to support it?
– Kosovo will have armed forces because this is not just a desire but proven necessity. We got a lot of support from NATO for our security forces and their evolution, and now we also completed security strategy. The armed forces of Kosovo will be a multi-ethnic army under civilian control and is very good if Serbian politicians in Kosovo see them as a contribution to peace and stable security architecture in the Balkans. We are also aware that these forces must be integrated into the Atlantic family of nations so that we can in close contact with our allies complete this transformation in an appropriate manner.
