Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic and his Romanian counterpart Teodor Meleșcanu opened on Tuesday in Timisoara the conference “Security Challenges in the Balkans”, Serbian media reported.
Dacic said in connection to the insistence to reach the solution within the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina but which would not affect others, that one forgets that solutions were made which destroyed the territorial integrity of Serbia.
“The EU says that there must not be border change. What about Serbia’s borders,” he asked. “They first destroyed them, and after that they say there should be no more border changes. We do not accept that, even if it comes from Brussels, Washington or Moscow.”
There are problems in the Balkans, but they do not have to be basis for wars, he stressed, adding that more understanding is needed from the international community, and that in this respect Serbia is trying to keep a balanced foreign policy that respects all the strategic goals.
“Our strategic goal is to enter the EU, but we cannot enter until a legally binding agreement with Kosovo is reached,” he said.
“Does anyone in the EU know what needs to be in that agreement? Does this mean that Serbia should recognize Kosovo?” he asked, adding that it is cynical that the countries that recognized Kosovo say that there are no border changes, reported RTS.
“Romania and the four EU countries that have not recognized Kosovo will say that that is not necessary, but many other countries will say that it is. On the other hand, this opens a dilemma in our society – the EU or Kosovo. These are very big and difficult issues and those who speak about them must have a deep understanding of those matters,” Dacic underlined.
Serbian Foreign Minister said that for the sake of the region’s stability a compromise should be sought, and that Serbia wants a peaceful solution to the Kosovo problem, but not humiliation.
“The word Balkan consists of two Turkish words, blood and honey, and this is the best picture of the Balkans, with more blood than honey and I think it’s time to change it,” Ivica Dacic said at a conference on security challenges in the Balkans.
He stressed that the stability of the region is important for the stability of Europe, and therefore compromises should be sought, and not to adopt unilateral acts.
“We are not going to recognize Kosovo, because it is not an issue of the EU or Kosovo. We do not want to ask questions like that. We want a peaceful solution, but not the humiliation of Serbia,” the Serbian minister said.
