Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic on Wednesday received UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations El Ghassim Wane.
During the conversation he noted that Serbia is fully committed to regional peace and stability and that it is cooperating with all despite a rise in ultra-nationalism in some countries.
Nikolic highlighted the significance of UN peacekeepers and their role in preserving peace and stability worldwide, in the region in particular.
Serbia strongly supports UN activities and contributes to them through peacekeeping operations around the world, he said.
At the same time, he stressed Serbia’s commitment to European integration, which he said is not at the expense of recognising Kosovo-Metohija.
“We are in talks with Pristina in Brussels, but all that we cannot agree on due to non-compliance with UN SC Resolution 1244 Pristina is trying to agree bilaterally with other states and achieve it by joining international organisations,” Nikolic said.
“I believe that Brussels must react and ensure that the dialogue is conducted in Brussels exclusively,” Nikolic stressed, expressing confidence that the role and scope of the UN mission in Kosovo will remain unchanged.
Wane described Serbia’s role in contributing to regional peace and stability as positive, noting the significance of dialogue in facing regional challenges.
He also thanked Serbia for its readiness to boost the participation of its armed forces in peacekeeping operations, stressing that the UN will continue its mission in Kosovo and Metohija.
Director of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric also the UN official, and informed him about the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and highlighted the importance of this process for regional stability, Tanjug reported.
“It is necessary to restore trust in the dialogue, and this could only be achieved by implementing the agreement on the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities, as well as key points of the Brussels dialogue so far,” the Office quoted Djuric as saying.
Underlining the irreplaceable role of the UN in guaranteeing the status-neutral international presence in Kosovo and Metohija and the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1244, Djuric informed the UN representative about the position and problems facing the Serb community in Kosovo and Metohija, and underlined the significance of KFOR presence for security in the province.
Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo Zahir Tanin and Director of the UN Office in Belgrade Simona-Mirela Miculescu also took part in the meeting.
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