Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic says the list of countries that have recognized Kosovo contains “at least seven or eight made up recognitions.”
Dacic reiterated that if Serbia seriously approaches this problem, that number could fall below 100.
Dacic also said, in an interview with the daily Vecernje Novosti published on Monday, that Serbia will check all information concerning the claim that Madagascar had recognized Kosovo.
“We will check everything about Madagascar, but the fight goes on. We face powerful opponents and their patrons. Countries are being threatening, protests are being lodged with those countries that have withdrawn their recognition, they are being offered various things,” said the head of Serbia’s diplomacy.
Dacic, who was in Paris attending the Francophone Summit, said that he spoke with foreign ministers of a number of countries that did not recognize Kosovo and added that their position remained clear.
“I also spoke with ministers from some countries that did recognize Kosovo and I think that they could reexamine those decision. Of course, I will not mention which countries, because I wouldn’t want to be helping Pristina,” Dacic said, according to the daily’s website.
Speaking about the internal dialogue on Kosovo, he said that the goal of this initiative is to present all positions that could represent a lasting solution.
“In order to do this, the other side should accept to talk. And Pristina thinks that there is nothing to talk about and that, as they say, independence is irreversible. It turned out that this is not true. Taiwan was at one time recognized by more than 80 countries, and now that number is very small,” Dacic said.
Commenting on Pristina’s proposal to include the United States in the EU-sponsored dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, he said that changing the format would imply “some new decision – and in that case, other countries would want to join, and Serbia would have its own proposals.”
