Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic told RTS that Pristina with its acts and decisions undermines the dialogue with Belgrade, and it is their tactic. He added, it is not about childish games, but about rather perfidious game that seriously threatens the entire region.
Dacic made these remarks speaking for the RTS news edition, noting it was logical to expect, President Vucic would respond to the call for dialogue in Brussels, despite of Pristina’s decision to increase taxes on goods from Serbia by 10 percent.
“Serbia displayed its constructiveness, and of course we were reassured that the European Commission would influence this decision to be revoked,” Dacic underlined.
Asked if it is realistic to expect, that legally binding agreement would be reached by the end of May next year, when the mandate of EU High Representative Federica Mogherini expires, Dacic said “if the dialogue goes this way, obviously we would not reach even the first point.”
He reminded that Pristina did not implement what it is obliged to do by signing the Brussels agreement, and it was a prerequisite for other mechanisms that need to be formed in Kosovo. And not only that, Dacic went on saying, they are now linking their obligations with something completely else – saying if you do not oppose our membership in the UN, we will form the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities.
Dacic underlined it goes without saying that Serbia does not accept membership of Kosovo in international organizations. UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, as per their statutes are organizations for member states (…) and Kosovo does not have a statutory right to be a member of these organizations.
Dacic added, there are attempts to present Kosovo as a state by force and through back doors, and that Kosovo does not wish to join Interpol in order to fight against the crime, but rather to tell – we are recognized as an independent state.
Speaking about US, he said the USA has now changed its stance in regard to allowing the possibility to reach a creative solution, but that they continue lobbying for Kosovo, adding when he came to Granada, a note from the State Department, that they had sent to all Caribbean states, awaited him there, and they said I am coming and they should not change the decision on recognizing Kosovo, and to vote for Kosovo in Interpol.
Dacic also spoke about the cynicism of some western states, saying they would vote for Kosovo in Interpol, but do not support visa liberalization for Kosovo, since they do not want them to come to their states.
He also noted that no one mentions any longer the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, same as no one mentions UN data, that 230.000 Serbs were expelled from Kosovo in 1999 and that less than 2 percent returned up to date.
Commenting on Serbian Orthodox Church’s stance that they are for preserving a full sovereignty of Serbia over Kosovo, Dacic said “he absolutely agrees with it” but asked them to say how, “because prayers do not help much.”
He repeated Serbia is for peace, wants peaceful resolution, but if someone wishes to attack our people, one must know there would be a response and it is clear to everybody.
