First Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic assessed on Sunday that Kosovo would not succeed in joining UNESCO.

Speaking during the marking of the anniversary of the Gorazdevac crime, Dacic said that Pristina has not filed a new request for membership.

According to him, Pristina is "aware that Kosovo would not be able to gain enough votes, and that owing to Belgrade's diplomatic activity even those who abstained (in 2015) would vote 'no'."

Serbia’s Foreign Minister, Ivica Dacic, said that the situation with Kosovo’s membership at Interpol is more complicated than UNESCO membership. It is clear that Kosovo does not have more than two thirds of votes for UNESCO membership,” he said.

He added that he would meet on Friday with Minister of Internal Affairs, Nebojsa Stefanovic, to discuss Kosovo’s membership at Interpol, being that the problem stands on jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Pristina took no formal steps to submit its request for UNESCO membership before this UN organization, Novosti daily reported referring to “diplomatic cycles.”

The UNESCO General Assembly conference takes place in November, and one month prior to it, a session is hold where decisions on whether to forward requests to the General Assembly or not are made. According to unofficial sources Kosovo would not stand better chances than it was the case two years ago.

Non-governmental organization “No Kosovo UNESCO” initiated a second campaign against an announced initiative that Kosovo becomes member of UNESCO.

This organization stated that similar initiative two years ago was prevented and the same will happen this time too.

“Two years ago, we have defeated them. We have decided to once again initiate our campaign “No Kosovo UNESCO” and once more prevent Kosovo become a member of the UNESCO,” its press release stated.

The statement of Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Zoran Zaev that his country would opt to remain neutral regarding Kosovo’s bid to join UNESCO, has caused reaction among the Albanian community, reports Koha.

President of the Committee of the Assembly of Serbia for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun says that presentations of the Western ambassadors at the session of the UN Security Council regarding the quarterly report on Kosovo, represent the start of the campaign for the withdrawal of UNMIK from Kosovo and an attempt to relocate the problem of Kosovo from the UN.

Serbia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivica Dacic, “advises” Kosovo not to apply for UNESCO membership.

“The best thing would have been if Kosovo did not apply for membership at the UN Organization for Education, Science and Culture,” Dacic said to his Italian counterpart, Angelino Alfano, who is visiting Belgrade.

Dacic also is quoted as saying that UNESCO should not be politicized. “There is a syndrome of minor differences and major conflicts in Balkans,” Dacic said.

Serbian Ambassador to UNESCO Darko Tanasković says that Turkey is among the most agile countries that are lobbying for membership of Kosovo in UNESCO, adding that it is a part of their Neo-Ottomanism strategy.

President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, said at the summit of European countries Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committees taking place in Pristina that the EU often lacks vision and leadership and thus risks becoming a bureaucratic institution detached from its citizens. “One of those speaking strongly about Brussels lacking vision is me but there is no other alternative for us nor are we seeking a different one,” Thaci said.

Belgrade paper Politika has reported that Kosovo has missed its opportunity to apply for membership to UNESCO this year as the deadline for application has expired. Sources said that the agenda for the upcoming session of UNESCO set to take place in October has already been finalised.