YouSaid · the spoken record

Tomislav Nikolić

lines on the record: 120
first: 2012-09-24
most recent: 2015-09-24
sittings or episodes: 4
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Serbia has complied, responsibly and on time, with all the obligations it has undertaken to date regarding the implementation of the Brussels Agreement. I would like to point out that Serbia is open to continuing constructive dialogue with Pristina at every level. In accordance with Security Council resolution 1244 (1999), the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is the guarantor and the basis for action by all other international missions in Kosovo and Metohija. For Serbia, a reduction in UNMIK’s mandate and competencies in Kosovo and Metohija is unacceptable. In its negotiations with the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Pristina, Serbia proceeds from the premise that all solutions must be in accordance with the Constitution of Serbia and resolution 1244 (1999).”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Serbia therefore is clearly committed to the quest for a sustainable political solution through dialogue with representatives of the Provisional Institutions of Self- Government in Pristina. The political solution that Serbia advocates comprehends the interests of the Serbian, Albanian and other populations. It will be a durable political solution that is satisfactory to all parties, and we can reach it only through constructive dialogue. The normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina is contributing to the process of European integration. We expect the European Union to continue to encourage, through its active engagement, an open dialogue and compliance with agreed-on obligations in order to strengthen mutual trust.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I would also like to thank the European Commission, the members of the European Union, the Russian Federation, China, Japan, Belarus, African countries and the countries of the region for their assistance and engagement. Without their generous bilateral assistance, we would not have been able to help everyone in dire need. Short of the selfless assistance of Member States, we would not have been able to help the affected people, many of whom lost everything they had acquired during their lifetime. The national priority of Serbia is to achieve a sustainable political solution on the question of Kosovo and Metohija. For Serbia, the only acceptable, fair and just solution is to reject secessionism and preserve the territorial integrity of every country, including Serbia.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“By 2020, it should achieve its ambitious goal and fulfil the commitments we have made for the sake of humankind. This year, I witnessed, and my country was a victim of, extreme weather conditions in Europe. Unfortunately, Serbia and its neighbours in the region were subjected to natural disasters as a consequence of climate change. Serbia was and is vulnerable these days, all over again, to floods of biblical proportions. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the United Nations for its extensive and efficient engagement and cooperation with the Government of Serbia in the aftermath of the floods. In particular, I would like to thank French President François Hollande for heeding my call to convene a donors conference to help Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I therefore view this year as an opportunity to kick off intensive activities in devising climate policy and encouraging countries to commit to reducing carbon emissions. We have a historic chance to devise an energy policy that is sustainable and provides for substantive global action on climate change policy. I am convinced that we all share the view that it is urgent and obligatory to improve the adaptation system and set up mechanisms for reducing the enormous risks of natural disasters. Serbia wishes to contribute to reaching a legally binding, general consent on climate for all the peoples of the world. I believe that the Green Climate Fund should play an important role in the process of implementing the agreed principles.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Inexorably, the effects of natural disasters aggravate the fragile economic situation in Serbia and the region of South-East Europe and make the struggle against poverty ever more difficult. That struggle remains the quintessential challenge facing the world today. Activities aimed at alleviating the consequences of climate change are the imperative of our age. In determining binding measures, surely we should take account of the development needs of poor and underdeveloped countries. I am convinced that the Assembly shares my opinion that there is a need to act, as soon as possible, to improve adaptation systems and to establish mechanisms for lowering the risks posed by natural disasters.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Socioeconomic interrelatedness accounts for the disappearance of the old division into “us” and “them”. All of us, all States Members of the United Nations, share the same destiny and shoulder equal responsibility for the problems that directly face humankind. One of the urgent global challenges that we are confronting is climate change. At the Climate Summit 2014, in which I participated with great interest, we discussed the historic chance that we shall have at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in 2015. Consensus among scientists indicates that the global temperatures in the twenty-first century will rise dramatically. Extreme weather conditions will increase, with a frequency that depends on the intensity of global warming.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Serbia strongly supports the General Assembly agenda for the sixty-ninth session and sees itself as an active partner and participant in the implementation of United Nations development goals. The world is faced with new security, climate and socioeconomic challenges. We need to do much work together to ensure humankind’s progress in the twenty-first century. Serbia offers its experiences and ideas for global management, so that we can ensure a better future for new generations all over the world. Allow me to consider three of today’s most pressing global challenges that concern not just Serbia but all of us — climate change, global security and deadly infectious diseases of vast proportions. I believe that, if not addressed wisely and systematically, those challenges could put the survival of future generations in jeopardy.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“John Ashe, for his efforts and successful work during the sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly, which laid down the foundations for the post-2015 sustainable development agenda, as well as for his endeavours to strengthen the purposes and principles of the United Nations. The sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly is being held at a time when we mark an important anniversary, 100 years having elapsed since the outbreak of the Great War, a war which shaped the twentieth century. The anniversary was commemorated at different places, but, regrettably, no common ceremony at the highest level was organized in the spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I congratulate Mr. Sam Kutesa on his assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. I am convinced that his international prestige and experience will make an important contribution to the crafting of sustainable political solutions to the new global challenges that lie ahead of us. I would also like to convey Serbia’s readiness to address and provide unequivocal support to the resolution of priorities relative to climate change, an integrated global economy, international security issues and all other topics included in the agenda that we will actively pursue. I should like to express my special thanks to outgoing President, Mr.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We expect that to be reciprocated in equal measure. The Serbia of today and tomorrow deserves to be trusted.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Nevertheless, while its intention was not just to criticize this institution, Serbia suggested certain measures that might, to some extent, help redress the wrongdoings of the Tribunal. We request the United Nations and the ICTY to find a legal solution that ensures that Serb convicts are sent to serve their prison sentence in Serbia, so that justice may be done more effectively, primarily as a way of helping them reintegrate into society. That does not mean that we challenge the verdicts reached or that we are minimizing the crimes committed by those persons. We simply want to help those concerned return to normal life, once they come out of prison, as part of the Serbian community. Serbia respects every State Member of the United Nations and offers each and every one of them its friendship and trust.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We said then that the ICTY had abused the mandate given to it by the Security Council; that it had not helped the reconciliation process in the territory of the former Yugoslavia; that it had compromised the idea behind the international criminal justice system; that it had acted under political pressure; that it was not independent; that it had acted differently in similar circumstances; that it had acquitted some war criminals, in some instances even failing to indict them; that it had humiliated Serb victims of the secession wars of the former Yugoslavia; and that it had attempted to paint a revisionist picture of history. We continue to hold the same points of view. By accepting the integrity of the Tribunal, we have not only earned the right to criticize its work but also to propose a solution.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In April, I spoke before the Assembly in the thematic debate on the role of the international criminal justice system in reconciliation and about the work of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 (ICTY).”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We wish to recall that special rapporteur Dick Marty, a Swiss senator, has shown, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has confirmed, that some Albanian leaders in Kosovo and Metohija organized the kidnapping and killing of Serbs whose organs were then harvested and sold illegally. We were not in a position to initiate legal proceedings for those crimes, which were committed towards the beginning of the twenty-first century, crimes that have so far not occurred anywhere else in the world. We still believe that it is necessary for the United Nations to be included in investigating those crimes, based on a report by the Council of Europe. Serbia appeals for the support of friends in its efforts to shed light on the truth behind those and other crimes so that the perpetrators can be brought to justice.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We expect EULEX, by maintaining a neutral approach, to continue assisting in the development of democratic institutions within the province and in monitoring the human rights of Serbs and other non-Albanians, since only their fundamental human rights are under threat. As far as Serbia is concerned, there is yet another pending task before the United Nations weighing on the conscience of its Member States, one which must not remain unaddressed, so that neither we nor future Presidents have to seek justice by repeating that a crime remains to be resolved.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Therefore, we ask that the mandate of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) remain unchanged, that its staff not be downsized and that its activities be reinforced. UNMIK plays an indispensable role. It should coordinate the work of all international forces present in Kosovo and Metohija within a neutral framework, as stated in Security Council resolution 1244 (1999). That resolution defined the tasks of the United Nations and reaffirmed that Kosovo and Metohija is a province forming an integral part of the Republic of Serbia. We also support the work of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX). We request that the European Union respect its own principles as far as the province of Kosovo and Metohija is concerned.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Let us underscore that Belgrade and Pristina have only reached agreement over clearly defined matters, such as local elections and the establishment of a community of Serbian boroughs in Kosovo and Metohija, and that the Republic of Serbia has not recognized the independence of Kosovo in any shape or form. The first agreement, which we promised to respect fully, does not mean in any way that the Republic of Serbia intends to approve Kosovo’s entry into the United Nations and other international organizations, where membership is the sole prerogative of sovereign States. The United Nations has been present in Kosovo and Metohija for more than 14 years. We believe in the United Nations, which was entrusted with administering this part of Serbia in 1999.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We are convinced that such problems, including the status of Kosovo and Metohija, should be resolved peacefully. For that reason, we take heed of calls by the General Assembly in 2010 to start negotiations with representatives of the authorities in Pristina. Following the efforts of Lady Catherine Ashton, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, we have made arrangements with the Albanians of Kosovo and Metohija. Serbia has thus shown that its intention was to protect the Serb community in Kosovo and Metohija as far as possible, to ensure that all its inhabitants in the southern Serbian province of Kosovo could also lead normal lives on a day-to-day basis.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The United Nations has never recognized an illegal secession attempt by Kosovo’s provisional institutions of self-governance, but a number of countries, irrespective of the norms of international law, have recognized Kosovo as an independent State. Under constant pressure and through blackmail on the part of large and powerful States, some other countries, including Serbia’s traditional allies, have unfortunately recognized Kosovo as an independent State. Serbia has responded to such acts in a measured, diplomatic and political manner, refraining from any use of force, to safeguard its sovereignty and its territorial integrity. Faced with a situation where its vital national interests were at stake, a country would rarely demonstrate such a degree of level-headedness.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“It will give Serbia an opportunity to make a constructive contribution to the enhancement of the OSCE, especially since 2015 will mark the fortieth anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, one of the most important OSCE instruments. We are confident that our activities on regional initiatives and our forthcoming chairmanship of the OSCE will make Serbia an ideal candidate for taking on greater responsibility within the United Nations system, consequently making it possible for it to be entrusted with even more responsibilities and duties, when the time comes. The unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, in 2008, has been creating problems and undermining a system established by the United Nations at its start.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“At the same time, Serbia has revived old alliances and forged new ones throughout the world, creating strategic partnerships with countries in the East, West, North and South. Serbia has been active in all regional initiatives and organizations, and has recently chaired some of them, making a remarkable impression on other members. As a result, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has entrusted Serbia with its chairmanship for 2015. The OSCE chairmanship, to be held by Switzerland in 2014 and then by Serbia in 2015, serves as a good example of how to cooperate within international organizations.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In comparison with our neighbours, we can compete only in terms of seeking to attain more human rights protection, whereas in all other respects, we will cooperate and help encourage one another to perform better. Serbia’s message to its European partners is that the time for conflicts, distrust and disputes is now behind us. Our country is looking forward to the future and to becoming a member of the European Union. It has been decided, and we trust that Serbia will start negotiations with the European Union no later than January 2014. I hope that Serbia will be able to inform the next General Assembly session about the outcome of those talks, which we believe will not last long or continue indefinitely, as well as about Serbia’s ongoing progress towards becoming a fully fledged member of the European Union.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“On behalf of Serbia, I have made symbolic gestures to effectively demonstrate that we wish to reconcile with the peoples living side by side with us. I am confident that those gestures will significantly contribute to reconciliation and help to right the wrongs of the past. We are now looking forward to the future. It is our desire to foster good relations with all neighbouring countries by building a network of roads, railway lines and bridges; to try to make our mark on the international market; to promote our energy systems; to protect the environment; to cooperate in disaster relief; to develop cross-border projects; to have trade links and; to expand our cultural, scientific, educational, technological and sports cooperation. Our common goal is to improve the living standards of everyone living in the countries of the region.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“It has never possessed weapons of mass destruction and has no intention of including weapons of mass destruction in its visible, quantifiable and verifiable arsenal. We are aware that progress on disarmament and arms control hinges not only on us. Success is related to developments carried out on a wider political and strategic stage. In the little more than one year since I took office, I have visited almost all of the countries with borders in common with Serbia. I have spoken with the leaders of all of the neighbouring countries, including at international events. In that manner, I wanted to convey the message that Serbia has opted for regional cooperation and working together with its neighbours to address the problems we share in common.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In accordance with its agreed commitments, my country has counted and inventoried all weapons in its possession and has made the information available. It has also allowed the inspection of its arsenals. Our partners know where each piece of Serbian weaponry is located. Nothing is kept secret. We have done so not only because we were bound to do so, but to show and prove that Serbia is truly committed to peace and cooperation with its neighbours. Contributions to peace can also be made through disarmament. Never in its history has Serbia fought a war of aggression, and the weapons now in its possession are only meant for its defence. Furthermore, Serbia has never posed a threat to any country.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The Republic of Serbia considers such cooperation a friendly exchange, not interference in the internal affairs of other countries or as one-sided and irresponsible preaching and tutelage accompanied by conditions or blackmail. The Republic of Serbia is a party to nearly all international instruments and initiatives in the field of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. It fully complies with the obligations it has undertaken. Serbia’s commitment to the Arms Trade Treaty, which we recently signed, is based on the belief that the establishment of legally binding international standards in that field is a significant contribution to eliminating the illegal arms trade, fighting international terrorism and organized crime and promoting peace, security and stability — in other words, the alleviation of human suffering.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We have actively promoted intercultural and interfaith dialogue in all domains and at all levels, as that is the best way to overcome divisions caused by cultural, linguistic, religious or any other diversity. Generally, in the period under review, Serbia has achieved considerable progress in the protection of human rights, as noted in the presentation of the second universal periodic review, in Geneva in January, and during the visit to Belgrade by Ms. Navanethem Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. We are ready to share our expertise and experience in the human rights field with our friends around the world.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The Constitution of the Republic of Serbia unambiguously prohibits the assimilation of national minorities and the undertaking of measures designed to artificially alter the ethnic structure of populations in areas where national minorities traditionally reside in large numbers. The Republic of Serbia is a multi-ethnic, multireligious and multicultural country. Dozens of ethnic groups and several religious communities live there peacefully, and its tradition of living side by side based on tolerance and respect of others has been long, genuine and deep-rooted. Drawing upon our own experience, we have wholeheartedly embraced the Alliance of Civilizations initiative.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Victims of terrorist acts worldwide, those injured in attacks or the families of victims have the right to demand that persons responsible for such acts be brought to justice and that any further recruitment of terrorists or financing of their organizations end. The Republic of Serbia attaches great importance to the promotion and protection of human rights and is striving to fully comply with the internationally recognized standards in that area. Serbia has taken a step forward regarding the enjoyment of human rights by minority groups, particularly national minorities, women and children and persons with special needs. Serbia’s law on the protection of the rights and freedoms of national minorities surpasses international conventions in many aspects.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Because terrorism knows no boundaries, States Members of the United Nations must be ready to cooperate without compromise, prejudice, or limitations and without any exceptions or special cases allowing terrorist actions against one’s own people under the pretext of so-called “freedom fighting”. In that context, it is of the utmost importance to make progress on the adoption of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism. Serbia strongly condemns terrorism in any shape or form, without regard to who the perpetrators may be, wherever such acts may be committed or for whatever purpose. On the other hand, no one has the right, Serbia included, to limit itself to statements made in condemnation.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“That danger is terrorism, which poses a threat to fundamental human rights and creates an obstacle to business, thus undermining development as well. As a State party to most international counter- terrorism conventions, the Republic of Serbia attaches great significance to international activities aimed at suppressing terrorism. And we are adapting our domestic legislation to stem the scourge. We unequivocally support the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and all of the relevant resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and the Security Council. Serbia, as a victim of terrorist attacks that have even taken the lives of children — the most innocent segment of its population — understands well the need for regional and broader counter-terrorism cooperation.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“For that reason, we would like to see the personnel of the Serbian armed forces and the Ministry of the Interior welcomed and accepted both by the Governments of the friendly countries to which they are deployed and the local populations and that they would be seen as supportive partners, rather than as foreign troops and occupying forces. When seconding its personnel to multinational operations, Serbia has no interest — military, political or economic — but to help a friend in need and show the other contingents contributing to the operation that our troops may be counted upon to help. Apart from wars, there is another omnipresent global danger looming large over the core values of the United Nations.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“They all serve as proper representatives of their country through actions in favour of peace. We are prepared to increase, in the coming period, the size of our contribution and equipment in terms of national contingents and to make use of the available United Nations standby arrangements. In line with our policies based on Security Council resolutions, we will also promote the participation of our servicewomen in peace missions. Serbia’s engagement in United Nations missions and other multinational operations represents our firm contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security. The Republic of Serbia has no ulterior motive behind sending its troops to other countries, other than to provide assistance.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Even today, at the outset of the twenty-first century, it is unfortunate that many war zones exist throughout the world. My country has participated in United Nations-led peacekeeping operations for decades. In many continents, memories of Serbia’s contributions to peace efforts remain very much alive. We will continue to apply lessons learned to find solutions to specific problems in the field and to improve our peacekeepers’ response capacities in terms of the challenges they will face in carrying out their mandates and with a view to achieving maximum performance. Serbian service and police personnel are engaged in multinational operations in the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, Uganda, the Middle East and Somali waters and soon in Mali as well.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I expect that attention will also be focused on implementing a global mechanism to prevent economic shocks from developed countries from spilling over to developing countries and destabilizing international financial markets. As part of the process, voices from both “have” and “have-not” countries should be equally valued. Developing countries should highlight the problems, and developed countries should act as partners in resolving them. As a new member of the Economic and Social Council for the period 2014 to 2016, the Republic of Serbia will participate in all Council activities related to the MDGs and setting the stage of the post- 2015 development agenda. However, there can be no development — sustainable, unsustainable, economic or social — in war-torn areas.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We believe that the sustainable development goals should be global in nature but, at the same time, have the capacity to be implemented in all countries, as countries differ so much in their capacity, level of development, priorities and policies. It goes without saying that, in identifying the sustainable development goals, priority should be accorded to energy efficiency, renewable resources and climate change. Key development goals should deal with sustainable economic development because, without it, it will be impossible to achieve social development, reduce hunger, poverty, unemployment and inequality, prevent further wage level disparities or protect the environment.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The process that has been initiated is an ambitious and complicated one. Even the outcome document of the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (resolution 66/288, annex), entitled “The future we want”, makes it incumbent upon us to take action. I hope that the work of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals will be a success. The Republic of Serbia appreciates the opportunity given to it, as a member of the Group, to help in the drafting process aimed at establishing sustainable development goals. For our part, we will do our utmost to contribute to defining sustainable development goals in clear terms.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I welcome the well-chosen theme for this year’s session. The post-2015 development agenda and the preparations to be made in order to define a future global development framework are important issues, and the General Assembly is the right forum in which to hold these discussions and, more important, come to agreement on them. I am confident that the current Assembly session will be successful in the consideration of the agenda items highlighted by its President, namely, the contribution of women, youth and civil society to the post-2015 development agenda and human rights and the rule of law in that agenda. The deadline for the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), to which the Republic of Serbia fully subscribes, is fast approaching, and the United Nations and today’s world are at a crossroads.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“At the same time, I would like to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Vuk Jeremic, former President of the General Assembly, on his courage and impeccable work in presiding over the Assembly for the past year and on the understanding he has demonstrated of the problems encountered all over the world. He represented Serbia in a dignified manner while being an impartial professional of high standing. The Republic of Serbia attaches great importance to the United Nations and the activities and cooperation carried out within its framework. We remain true to the Charter of the United Nations and the purposes and principles enshrined therein. We will endeavour, to the extent of our ability, to make a contribution to their implementation. We are also determined to participate in the new initiatives being taken within the United Nations.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“It is my great honour to address the General Assembly on behalf of the Republic of Serbia and inform members about the positions held by my country on some important global issues, developments in and around Serbia and the efforts that Belgrade has made with a view to reaching a just solution to problems facing the country and its neighbourhood. First of all, I would like to thank the President of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session for his excellent stewardship and organization of this debate and the leadership he has demonstrated in his high-level post. I wish him every success in the performance of his duties as President of the General Assembly. I assure him that he will enjoy the support of the Republic of Serbia in the discharge of his mandate. He can count on our assistance in bringing his ideas to fruition.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I am convinced that the accomplishment of those objectives is only possible through respect for the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and through an active involvement of all Members in the promotion of multilateral cooperation.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“For the sake of the truth an investigation should be carried out, bearing in mind that Serbs were always unjustly portrayed as the sole perpetrators of crimes, and never as victims, Serbia is merely asking for the same obligations and rights for itself as for others, for the same appreciation of its interests as for those of others and for the same kind of attention to itself as to others, so as not to become unworthy of its ancestors and so as not to fail in its debt to its born and unborn children. I conclude by affirming that the Republic of Serbia will make a self less contribution to achieving the objectives of the General Assembly and its Member States.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“In the case of Kosovo, 220,000 people were driven out of their homes. Serbia urges an investigation into the allegations contained in the report by Mr. Dick Marty, Special Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Some people ought to have a guilty conscious because of the fact that two years have elapsed since the publication of the report cataloguing cases of harvesting and trafficking in human organs before, during and after the events of 1999. We are simply asking for the truth. We seek to uncover the destiny of hundreds of Serbs missing from Kosovo and Metohija, who are reasonably believed to be the victims of illicit trafficking in human organs and of other crimes committed in Kosovo and Metohija. In the name of my people, I simply demand justice for the innocent victims.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“I can only understand the attempt to turn four monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church into a part of the cultural heritage of the so-called Kosovo State as an effort f lagrantly to falsify history, as historical revisionism and as an attempt to obliterate any trace of the existence of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija. I am particularly concerned over the fact that, even now in the twenty-first century, such an attempt to falsify history and to steal the cultural heritage of a nation is taking place before the very eyes of the entire international community. That sets a very dangerous precedent, encouraging each and every secessionist group in the future to take over the history of the expelled people after illegally separating the territory from the State in question.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“I wonder, then, what the subject matter of negotiations could be and what entity has any authority to determine it? Serbia offers a concrete proposal: direct negotiations at the highest political level. An agreement can be reached only through consensus without unilateral decisions and actions. I take this opportunity also to condemn most strongly the attempt by the so-called Republic of Kosovo to dispossess Serbs of the tangible heritage of the Serbian medieval State, the spiritual heritage of the Serbian people and the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the territory of the southern Serbian province of Kosovo.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“At the same time, it should be understood that Serbia is not ready to recognize, and cannot nor will ever under any circumstances recognize, either explicitly or implicitly, the unilaterally declared independence of its southern province of Kosovo and Metohija. The issue of Kosovo and Metohija can be resolved and will be resolved in a peaceful manner. Serbia will enter the follow-up negotiations ready to help all citizens of Kosovo and Metohija to live a better life in democratic and secure conditions, but it will not negotiate the implementation of the independence of the so-called State of Kosovo. The situation will come to an end, even though we constantly hear that the status of Kosovo is non-negotiable and that it is not up to us to decide it.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We strongly desire that the talks be continued in good faith and with good intentions, taking into account, among other things, that it is important to carry forward European integration involving Serbia and the Western Balkans as a whole in order to ensure long-term progress and stability for the entire region. Serbia has made committments and will fulfil all obligations it has undertaken as a State in the agreements reached thus far, even though to my eye they represent essentially the wish list of the Albanian party with some concessions made by our leadership at that time under heavy pressure.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“What kind of a choice is that? Am I to tell our citizens that they are going to live better if they abandon their own interests? Has Serbia ever asked anyone to make such a decision? I hope that no one in this Hall will ever have to face such a choice. Serbia is seeking a lasting, sustainable and acceptable solution to all problems. It aspires to make progress towards a European future and is fully committed to a process that will result in enduring peace between Serbs and Albanians. The Republic of Serbia and myself, as its democratically elected President, are ready to participate constructively in the negotiating process, because Serbia cannot move forward without Kosovo and Metohija, and the inhabitants of Kosovo and Metohija cannot move forward without Serbia.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“How is it possible that the rules of international law and justice have been violated to such an extent that, in the case of Serbs in Serbia, one can reasonably speak of discrimination? American President Dwight Eisenhower said, in a speech delivered on 31 October 1956, “There can be no peace without law and there can be no law if we were to apply one code of international conduct to those who oppose us and another for our friends.” Is it possible to have negotiations in which one party gets everything, including territory and even many of the other party’s people, and the other party gets nothing in return, except further pressure and new conditions? We are more and more frequently forced by the powerful and mighty to face the tough choice between giving up Kosovo and Metohija and membership in the European Union.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)