YouSaid · the spoken record

Dacie

lines on the record: 218
first: 2013-06-14
most recent: 2018-05-14
sittings or episodes: 10
sources: un-security-council

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 is the only country in the world that has a monument in honour of France. We love France as France loved us. This is history. Some will say that history is not important. However, those that have a history cannot possibly say that; only those that do not have a history can. The members of the Security Council have a history. I would therefore like to thank them for everything that they said - whether good or bad for us. Everyone has the right to choose their own future. We understand that there are no long-standing friends or enemies, but there are in fact long-standing friends. Do not break old friendships because of new ones.”
2018-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8254 (2018) · source
“All of us here must be aware that these are not lies, but rather historical facts that can be researched. That is why, in Serbia, we will erect a monument to Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States, who clearly defined the relationship of his country to Serbia - the largest victim of the First World War - as a country that was included in Wilson's 14 points and one that made a huge historical mistake by creating Yugoslavia and enabling others to break free from other occupiers. That is an error that we will have to pay for. I ask the Council to consider that. The United Kingdom says that it is glad to commemorate 10 years since the independence of Kosovo, but I have not heard that Great Britain is gratified to have enjoyed 170 or 180 years of diplomatic relations with Serbia. The same is true ofother countries as well.”
2018-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8254 (2018) · source
“Serbia is a serious country, an old country that shaped international order over several centuries for Christianity, for Europe and for the world at large. That must be taken into account when other countries are called upon to recognize Kosovo. I would never call upon other countries to violate any other country's territorial integrity. We would like to be partners with all countries, but partnership also implies that we should remember that in this country and in the United Kingdom 100 years ago, Serbian Day was observed during the First World War. I can bring a poster of that to the next meeting of the Security Council. Has anything changed for the British people over the past 100 years? Probably, but the same thing happened in the United States.”
2018-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8254 (2018) · source
“How can they recognize these principles in one situation and not in another? One could perhaps say that Kosovo is sui generis. Anyone can say that their case is sui generis. Moreover, this is not a fight for self-determination or freedom, because the Albanians in Kosovo are not a people who did not have a State of their own. They are a national minority that lived in Serbia. Albanians, as a people, have already exercised their right to self-determination by establishing a State of their own - Albania. The fact that diplomatic relations were such that Kosovo was recognized as an independent State does not mean that the same determination will prevail in, say, 20 years, when the same problems appear at one's door. We do not wish conflict.”
2018-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8254 (2018) · source
“I ask the Council to show greater understanding for our desire to be partners with every member. We have a long-standing tradition of diplomatic relations, several centuries. I also ask the Council to remember that history and what Serbia did for its allies in the First and Second World Wars. I do not want to delve too far into the past, as some might accuse us of dwelling there, but one cannot make plans for the future based exclusively on respect for Kosovo's interests. Serbia is willing to compromise, but that means respecting the interests of both sides. Many countries in the world are facing problems similar to Serbia's. They are now reviewing their decisions to recognize Kosovo for those very same reasons - because they are now facing their own separatist movements.”
2018-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8254 (2018) · source
“In 1917 - 101 years ago - we established diplomatic relations with Sweden. And we established diplomatic relations with Poland 99 years ago. Therefore, I would like to recall that we are an old State with which Council members have traditional and friendly relations. In fact, as one exits the United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office one can see a mural, erected after the First World War, that depicts Britannia with children representing Belgium and Serbia as the countries that made the largest contributions and had the largest number of victims in the war. We lost 40 per cent of our male population in the First World War. Consequently, I would ask the Council to consider those aspects when talking about our relations and our problems - all the more so considering that these issues are very difficult and painful to us.”
2018-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8254 (2018) · source
“But I would also recall that last year marked the one hundred and eightieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Serbia and the United Kingdom. The first British Consul to Serbia was George Lloyd Hodges, appointed in 1837. I hope that is also gratifying, in addition to the 10 years of diplomatic relations with Kosovo. In addition, I would like to recall that next year we will observe 180 years of diplomatic relations with France, as ties were established in 1839. This year also marks 180 years of diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation, beginning in 1838. In 1881 - 137 years ago - we established diplomatic relations with the United States. In 1899 - 119 years ago - we established diplomatic relations with the Netherlands. I am referring exclusively here to the Kingdom of Serbia, not Yugoslavia.”
2018-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8254 (2018) · source
“Mr. Dacie (Serbia) (spoke in Serbian; interpretation provided by the delegation): I am not going to engage in polemics with Ms. Citaku, as that is not my intention. In the first place, as I have already said many times, I would like these meetings to be constructive, and therefore, again, I will not comment on what she said - although I could do so, of course, as could she. Moreover, I would like to add something to what I heard from the representatives of some of the countries present here. I am glad that the 10-year anniversary of the independence of Kosovo and the establishment of diplomatic relations was mentioned, particularly by the representative of the United Kingdom.”
2018-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8254 (2018) · source
“Serbia is a proud country that contributed greatly to the establishment and formation of the United Nations, unlike other countries that used to welcome Hitler with flowers. We ended our pact with him on 27 March 1941, and I would urge no one to forget that.”
2017-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8025 (2017) · source
“I hope that what has happened to Serbia happens to no country represented here. We will certainly not be the cause of wars. The majority of Albanians from Kosovo participate in the wars of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. There are no participants from Serbia there. If anyone is unaware of that, it would be difficult for someone from the outside to explain it. If someone believes that meetings like today's should no longer take place, I urge them to make that decision. Let them propose it. Let them propose that resolution 1244 (1999) be revoked and reversed. Who is asking Serbia about it? We know the international situation. We are well aware that such a decision cannot be adopted in the Security Council; that being the case, I would ask certain members not to insult Serbia.”
2017-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8025 (2017) · source
“A few million dollars have already been paid. In one instance Kosovo is Serbia, and in another it is not. Anyone who believes that the situation in Kosovo has been resolved is living in a state of deep confusion. One Prime Minister has been accused of war crimes while another is in favour of the unification of Kosovo and Albania. Without going any deeper, anyone who believes that it is enough to declare a unilateral secession to resolve the issue, or that simply recognizing a country is enough to settle the issue, has forgotten history and all that happened in the Balkans over the past century. France and Serbia are strategic partners. We have a signed agreement. How logical is it to make such statements here when we have not spoken about it before? I do not wish the fate of Serbia on any country.”
2017-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8025 (2017) · source
“Mustafa also speaks about various initiatives in three municipalities of central Serbia and says that he has been receiving representatives from eastern Kosovo. So whom are you lying to? You are representing only yourself here today, but in fact you are the people who persecuted hundreds of thousands of Serbs in Kosovo. Of course, I do not mean Ms. Citaku personally, but there is no need to pretend that this never happened at all. Ms. Citaku spoke of the Kosovo Liberation Army as the most successful liberation movement, but it is on the United States list of terrorist organizations. I simply want to ask Ms. Citaku, when she speaks about this issue, to bear in mind that Serbia is repaying Kosovo's debts from the time of Yugoslavia. Why does she not speak about that? Why not say that she does not want us to repay their loans?”
2017-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8025 (2017) · source
“Are you going to say, all right, they are not there anymore, and we will not gather here anymore and talk about it? All of the large Powers I mentioned have deeply hurt the Serbian people by their conduct, because Serbian victims want justice, just as Albanian and all other victims do. If 1,000 people died between 1999 and today, and no one was accused in that connection, then Serbian victims also seek justice. After all, the United States denies 41 per cent of visa applications from Kosovo. That is official information. If the situation in Kosovo is so good, as Ms. Citaku says it is, then why are Albanians fleeing Kosovo en masse and going to Europe? Turning to the Government, the President speaks of peace and his various initiatives. Mr.”
2017-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8025 (2017) · source
“You say that you want to be Serbia's partner. Do you believe that it is enough to carry out the secession process and now say, we do not need to speak about this anymore? I posed a question; is someone going to reply to this question? Is anyone ever going to mention here the more than 200,000 Serbs who were persecuted of whose number only 1.9 per cent returned? Do you believe that we should never mention this again? I was presenting data to the Council from 1981, the year when the protests started in Kosovo and it started to ask for independence and for the status of a republic. Milosevic was not in power at the time; it was the time of Communist Yugoslavia. At that time, 43,000 Serbs lived in Pristina. So where are those Serbs today? I mentioned other towns as well.”
2017-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8025 (2017) · source
“As I said earlier, Ms. Citaku devoted her time to speaking about the same things she spoke of previously and levelling accusations related to the alleged ethnic cleansing of Albanians. She said she did not speak about false narratives but simply provided specific precise data. I think that she insulted the Security Council, member States and representatives, because she said that this was a charade. I do not know ifthe Council is ready to accept this statement; I do not have anything against that. I am much more worried about other things: the fact that the United States, the United Kingdom and France have obviously aligned their position with that of Kosovo concerning the need for the finalization of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo. So how is this to be interpreted?”
2017-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8025 (2017) · source
“Today, those who supported Kosovo's positions are gone. The world has changed in the sense that people understand that this is about the violation ofrights. Each and every violation of international rights is of a universal nature and is applicable to all. I respect the will of all, but we have to start with the legitimate interests of our own people. I do not know if the names of squares and streets in Pristina will be changed, as the media has suggested, but in any case we do not need the support of anyone from outside. Let us resolve our problems by ourselves. The representative of Kosovo is hiding behind big brother. Let us talk and find a sustainable solution. No one is going to drop a solution on Kosovo in the same way they dropped the bombs in 1999. Unfortunately for Kosovo, that time is over.”
2016-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7811 (2016) · source
“We are therefore not colonizers, and such terms should not be used in this principal organ of the United Nations. With regard to INTERPOL, of course Palestine was also on its agenda and the United States was not inclined to vote on that. Kosovo and Taiwan were on its agenda, too - or perhaps Taiwan was not on the agenda, but it was announced. Kosovo told everyone that it would be participating in the INTERPOL meeting, so why did it not submit its request? It did not submit it because it knew it would lose. I will end in the same way that Ms. Citaku began, by quoting her fictional statement. Today we are in 2016, not 1999. That is correct. Of course, the world has changed in the meantime. Today, those who bombed us, and for whom monuments have been raised in Pristina, are gone. The world has indeed changed.”
2016-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7811 (2016) · source
“It is really not nice that the United States has called on other countries to recognize Kosovo's unilateral declaration, thereby violating Serbia's territorial integrity. One hundred years ago, the only foreign flag that flew in front of the White House was Serbian, in recognition of Serbia's sacrifices during the First World War, when we lost a third of our population. I am happy for the Ambassador of Japan and his bottle of wine. In the fourteenth century, Serbia's Tsar Dusan enacted a law protecting the quality and geographic origin of Kosovan wine. At the time, he was the only ruler owning 25 kilometres of vineyards between Veliko Hoca and Prizren. Needless to say, there is nothing that the representative of Pristina can say about that, because at the time her people did not live in Kosovo.”
2016-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7811 (2016) · source
“Does that have anything to do with Milosevic? Where was Milosevic in 1981, when there were demonstrations demanding Kosovan independence? There was always a plan for unification with Albania from the very start, and that should be admitted. She is not Kosovar; she is Albanian. Her country of origin is Albania. This is not about colonialism; it is about a national minority in someone else's country that has unilaterally declared independence. I should like to point out to those here, including my friend from Japan, that this could happen to his country tomorrow. The fact that his country has over 100 million inhabitants does not give it more rights than Serbia. We do not have a principle that says we lost because Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence was permitted and because some countries accepted it.”
2016-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7811 (2016) · source
“She does not even like Special Rapporteur Karima Bennoune, who has spoken of200,000 displaced Serbs. The number is not important - even if it is only 50,000, they should be allowed to return. According to United Nations data, they amount to 1.9 per cent. Will the Council remain silent on this and say that those people do not have to go back? Is the Council going to legalize ethnic cleansing? it has no right to do that. Regardless of our country's small size, when it is a question of our Church we will defend it. Ms. Citaku claims that the church on the grounds of the campus of the University of Pristina is problematic because it was built under the Milosevic regime. But what about the fourteenth-century church of Our Lady of Ljevis, which Kosovo set on fire, and which was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List? When was that built?”
2016-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7811 (2016) · source
“The seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church is in Kosovo. What kind of colonialism is that? Name any Albanian cultural monument dating back to that time. What is she talking about? She thinks that because she is here in this meeting, supported by some major Western Powers, that she can tell lies here. But in fact that support does not strengthen Kosovo's position; rather their support for the positions that Kosovo presents here undermines their own reputations. Ms. Citaku mentioned Mr. Ahtisaari. Was it the Security Council that adopted the Ahtisaari proposal? Ms. Citaku has presented the dangerous thesis that everything in Kosovo belongs to Kosovo. The people there are living under capitalism, so can she actually tell them that everything located in Kosovo is the property of Kosovo? There should be some law about those rights.”
2016-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7811 (2016) · source
“Of course, that list also includes people who were lauded by Kosovo - who were employed, permitted to research mining resources and given mobile phones. Now the former Croatian Prime Minister Milanovie turns to Kosovo. Is Wesley Clark now on the list of those working in Kosovo, having borne witness to Bernard Kouchner and William Walker claiming that Serbia was bombed? He was the Head of the Mission to Serbia of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and before any statements were made by any forensic experts, he said that those who died in Racak were the victims of Serbs. Now he is a national hero. Ms. Citaku speaks of colonialism. What is she talking about? What are the countries that have been liberated from colonialism? Does she have any idea at all ofwhat colonialism is? The first capital of Serbia was in Kosovo.”
2016-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7811 (2016) · source
“So if according to her whoever may have been convicted is innocent, what is happening in the case of Oliver Ivanovic'? He has been under house arrest for months. Is there a single witness - Serbia has demanded to see a list - who can confirm the allegations made against him? The representative made a little mistake, because that list was erased after 2000 by those who bombed Serbia. But I have to declare here in New York, before the Security Council, that the decision to bomb Serbia was illegal and taken without the assent of the Council. I believe firmly that many who were on that list deserve to be tried, but the Tribunal found no legal basis for instigating proceedings against those who bombed Serbia. That was a judicial decision based on no decision of the Security Council.”
2016-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7811 (2016) · source
“The Kosovo speaker, who represents it now, says that the number of those indicted for those crimes is zero. Well, that is their problem. Why did they not charge anyone? Why did they not say that this person or that person committed rape or murder? If, as was said, Serbia has no jurisdiction in Kosovo, why was nothing done about it in The Hague? Every one of Serbia's police and military was questioned at the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague hundreds of times. It is impossible to bring charges based on the representative's fictional accounts recited here in the Security Council. And what is going on with Oliver Ivanovic'? Ms. Citaku says that we have arrested Kosovo's citizens. She urges that our people should be indicted, but when it comes to her citizens, everyone is innocent, right?”
2016-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7811 (2016) · source
“Mr. Dacie (Serbia) (spoke in Serbian; interpretation provided by the delegation): In my statement earlier I said that Council members would hear a number of lies from Pristina's representative. One can ascertain from her statement how she perceives an ideal country. Simply put: If it is such an ideal country, I wonder why the migrants crossing through the Balkans do not go to Kosovo. Why do its citizens flee Kosovo for Western Europe? Next time, I could also inform the Council how many Kosovar Albanians are in possession of Serbian passports, and how our diplomatic and consular representative offices in Western Europe every day work with Kosovar Albanians. What kind of country are we talking about? There was mention of crimes, rapes and murders. Why was no one accused?”
2016-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7811 (2016) · source
“The Serbian tragedy lies in the fact that the Serbian Orthodox council is in Kosovo holding a meeting. Why? Because it is the headquarters of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Patriarchate. It is because Serbia was established in Kosovo. Please, do not force me to speak about this. Ms. Citaku cannot speak about this, because at the time they were not present in Kosovo. The battle for Kosovo was fought between Turkey and Serbia, in Kosovo. That does not mean that each and every Security Council meeting should be devoted to elaborating on all these topics. We should be very pragmatic and efficient. Whether they want to reconcile or not, they cannot achieve their goals without previous agreement with Serbia.”
2016-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7693 (2016) · source
“I call upon all countries to uphold the legitimate interests of Serbia, as we are upholding other countries' legitimate interests. I thank the Council once again. I asked to speak here today because, every time we speak with representatives of Western countries - the United States, the United Kingdom, France and so on - we always talk about de-escalating and reducing harsh rhetoric. We always ultimately agree to do so, but then we come here and are forced to listen to long speeches that have nothing to do with the state of play on the ground. If the Council wants us to fair and correct, we will do so. But if it wants us to do as Kosovo does, we will prepare ourselves to elaborate at the next meeting about what has been done throughout history.”
2016-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7693 (2016) · source
“But we should not constantly return to history, but instead look to the future. I was not the only one to sign the Brussels Agreement; Mr. Thaci signed it with me. Is Ms. Citaku going to sabotage the Agreement and constantly try to talk about genocide, or is she willing to talk and work towards establishing good relations? The fact that Serbia is being constructive should not be viewed as our weakness, but as us being open to discussion and flexibility. They should not use this meeting to hearken to the past. If they think someone committed genocide, rape and other crimes, then please take them to court. But do not abuse this venue to promote their country's independence. Resolution 1244 (1999) is status-neutral.”
2016-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7693 (2016) · source
“Citaku thinks this issue has been resolved, then please first consult Spain whether or not her Stabilization and Association Agreement is the same. Well, it is not. Spain and other countries asked that Kosovo not sign with the European Commission under State status, but as a territory. That is why I think this is still a pending issue. Ms. Citaku spoke about everything, but failed to mention security issues and everything else that was to be the subject of this debate. For the next time, therefore, we will have to prepare diligently for the meeting - who did more to whom throughout history - if she thinks this is the way to conduct these meetings. Ms. Citaku is not Kosovar, she is Albanian. Serbs and other minorities - all of us - have our sore spots in history.”
2016-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7693 (2016) · source
“But there are hundreds of thousands of Serbs. What are we going to do with the 200,000 Serbs who were expelled from Kosovo? Do the great Powers think it nice to say that 200,000 people were expelled and only 2 per cent have realized sustainable return? Kosovo is a free and democratic State, but what are we going to do with those 200,000 people? When will they be able to return? We cannot agree with the fact that, when it comes to Serbia, certain international agreements are made, sometimes unilateral steps are taken. We are not in favour of unilateral moves, for when you do that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, as in the case of UNESCO. I think we are all fed up with the fact that we are constantly speaking and elaborating the same topic. Let us resolve this issue. But no, Kosovo thinks this topic has been resolved. If Ms.”
2016-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7693 (2016) · source
“I call upon all countries that recognize Kosovo to reverse their decision, because this situation could arise in future in any part of the world. And when they speak of recognition, there is no mention of the Islamic factor or European values. This is simply a case of upholding international law and whether one country can, without any consultation with the country of which it is an integral part, secede and separate from it. If the Council believes that should be the case, it should codify it and include it in its resolutions and decisions. As we are observing resolution 1244 (1999), we intend to come here and be constructive. Ms. Citaku is of Albanian descent. I am a Serb. Kosovo is hers as much as it is mine. It belongs to all of us who live there, or used to live there. I was born in Kosovo, but no longer live there.”
2016-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7693 (2016) · source
“But I would like to remind the United States and the United Kingdom that neither Angola, China, Spain, the Russian Federation Ukraine, Uruguay nor Venezuela has recognized Kosovo. The recognition of Kosovo by Egypt was the final act of its former President, Mr. Morsi, but Egypt has not gone any further in the operationalization ofthat recognition. If seven member States have not recognized Kosovo's independence, how can it be said that only a minority of States have not recognized Kosovo? Should we add up the population of all those seven countries? I think the Council is not being fair and balanced in its treatment of Serbia, which has been a very constructive partner in the dialogue with Pristina.”
2016-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7693 (2016) · source
“With regard to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), I would say that it breached its statute when it admitted Kosovo as a member even though Kosovo is not a full-fledged Member of the United Nations. Such admission is in direct breach of the UEFA rules. Members of the Security Council should consider what is going to happen in future when some of their countries find themselves in the same situation. I ask the representatives of these large countries to treat us with respect. I duly respect the United States and other countries. But what has been said here does not demonstrate that they respect us. In the Security Council, in the presence of Serbia, Member States were called upon to recognize the independence of Kosovo, and the Council is saying that only a minority of countries have not recognized Kosovo's independence.”
2016-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7693 (2016) · source
“Its people should live their lives, but Kosovo's representatives should not be allowed to constantly speak of the Kosovo people's freedom and the fact that they are now allowed to play football. Now that they are "free", should they alone be entitled to win on the soccer pitch? Throughout history, the Serbs were the majority demographic in Kosovo. But due to a Turkish invasion, followed by a five-centuries-long occupation, the Serbian majority was turned into a minority. Those who have committed crimes should be brought to trial. Today the Pristina appeals court upheld the acquittal of F atmir Limaj, who had been accused of crimes committed against Serbs.”
2016-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7693 (2016) · source
“As has been mentioned here, we should not turn the Security Council into a forum where we compete for the award for best imaginative work. Ms. Citaku spoke of everything but the topic at hand. Why did we meet today? We were convened to discuss the real problems. Yet Ms. Citaku has spoken of sports achievements, when she should speak of the day-to-day problems such as the fact that tear gas is being used in the Kosovo Parliament, or the fact that Kosovo has turned the Church of Christ the Saviour into a public toilet. During their demonstrations, the Kosovars have been abusing cultural landmarks such as the Visoki Decani Monastery, whose walls were covered with graffiti saying "ISIL and the caliphate are coming". We have nothing against Kosovo.”
2016-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7693 (2016) · source
“Should I remind you of the fact that in the fourteenth century the Serbian population was the majority? How can she speak of genocide when it is her majority that has committed a genocide? Some 200,000 Serbs were expelled from Kosovo since 1999. The Special Representative, Mr. Tanin, is present here. I wish that he would dare say that 200,000 people were expelled from Kosovo, and up until now only 1.9 per cent of them have permanently returned. Should we overlook this fact? Ms. Citaku mentioned massacres, genocides and so forth. I would remind Ms. Citaku that there are courts to decide such matters - The Hague Tribunal, and because of the crimes committed by Kosovo, there is a going to be a specialist court with its headquarters in the Netherlands. I would ask her to stop hearking back to the 1990s.”
2016-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7693 (2016) · source
“I would also like to appeal to certain members of the Security Council to take into consideration, when they are speaking of genocide and other terms and phrases, that it does not matter what our positions are; rather, what matters is what the judicial rulings have to say and whether something was determined on a legal basis. We are not the ones who can make a judgment as to whether a genocide had been committed or not. What is important is whether a court issued a ruling on this. Five or six years after the Second World War, France and Germany created the European Coal and Steel Community. Since 199, a very long period of time has passed, yet Ms. Citaku spoke of fresh memories. Should I remind you, Mr. President, of the Battle of Kosovo in the fourteenth century?”
2016-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7693 (2016) · source
“Citaku has been invited to the Council under rule 39 of the provisional rules of procedure, and not as the representative of the so-called Republic of Kosovo, which does not exist here at the United Nations. If that were the case, if the Republic of Kosovo existed, why have I been invited here? What does the Republic of Kosovo have to do with the Republic of Serbia? I would ask that you pay due attention to this breach of the rules of procedure, Mr. President, as it has been a constant irritant, about which we have shown great restraint until now. Ms. Citaku made a reference to genocide. Where is the verdict where the events that occurred were defined as genocide? I would again ask the President to pay due attention when certain words are used.”
2016-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7693 (2016) · source
“Mr. Dacie (Serbia) (spoke in Serbian, English interpretation provided by the delegation): As the representative of the Republic of Serbia, I am persistently trying not to bring up this subject - and only discuss the reporting period covered in the report (S/2016/407) - but, sadly, Ms. Citaku consistently held forth and delivered a political speech that had nothing to do with the report on the last three-month period. I am therefore forced to react. Ms. Citaku's speech, which was distributed to Council members, uses the words "the Republic of Kosovo" in its heading, when in fact no such name is used in the official communications at the United Nations. I therefore truly hope that you, Mr. President, are going to modify this item in your agenda because Ms.”
2016-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7693 (2016) · source
“I would sound a final note of caution: unilateral attempts such as the request for Kosovo's admission to UNESCO are steps in the wrong direction and testify to the flouting of the agreements reached. Another example of this is the suspension of the agreement to establish a community of Serbs. There can be no alternative to dialogue as a means of resolving all outstanding issues. It is for that reason that Serbia remains fully committed to dialogue in Brussels as the way to resolve all issues in dispute.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“Thus we have made a contribution to ensuring that many complex issues in various areas, including legislation, energy and telecommunications, are resolved in a mutually acceptable manner in the interest, first and foremost, of reconciliation and a common future. The political, social and economic conditions in which the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija lives continue to be very complex. I emphasize that the Republic of Serbia expects the international community, and the United Nations in particular, to continue to provide assistance on the path of confidence-building, which, we firmly believe, is the only solid basis for ensuring a normal life for all in Kosovo and Metohija.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“Conducted with the facilitation of the European Union, the dialogue is one of the rare successful examples of the pacific solution of conflicts in today's world. Within the framework of the dialogue, exceptionally important agreements have been reached on the improvement of the daily living conditions of the entire population of Kosovo and Metohija. Our dedication to this process reflects our firm commitment to making an active contribution to the furtherance of the political and economic stability of the Western Balkans and the resolution of all remaining open questions exclusively through political and diplomatic means. With this specific goal in mind, we have demonstrated, in the context of the dialogue, our constructive approach and readiness to compromise.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“This is a falsification of history aimed at erasing the Serbian identity and presence in Kosovo and Metohija. The talks held on the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the status and protection of the Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija in the context of the Brussels agreement have yet to be followed up. I take this opportunity to reiterate my call on the international community to send a clear and unequivocal message to the local authorities that it will closely monitor their efforts to prevent criminal acts directed at objects of cultural and religious heritage, as well as their response to the commission of such acts. In closing, let me underline once again that Serbia is firmly committed to dialogue with the representatives of Pristina.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“This is incontrovertible proof of the fact that the majority community has never accepted the Serbian cultural heritage as part of the common heritage and cultural values that have been passed on to us to treasure jointly in Kosovo and Metohija. Accordingly, the Albanian community does not have the legal, historical, moral or any other right to appropriate the monuments of the Serbian cultural and spiritual heritage that it has targeted for systematic destruction since 1999. Albanian students in Kosovo and Metohija learn from their textbooks that Serbian churches and monasteries from the twelfth, thirteen and fourteenth centuries are Albanian and that the Serbian Nemanjic dynasty from that time is in fact the Albanian Nimani dynasty.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“Mention should also be made of the fact that the draft law does not provide for the majority of minority MPs required to pass a law ofvital interest to their community. In addition to making a routine roll call, as it were, of the attacks carried out during the reporting period on monuments that form part of the Serbian religious and cultural heritage, Serbia calls on the international community to step up its engagement in the process of their physical and legal protection, especially in view of current political developments in the province. I would point out that these attacks have never ceased.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“Such sales snuff out the potential for communities in which Serbs live to exist economically, jeopardize conditions for return and undermine security. After all, in addition to the lack of security, the absence of an effective mechanism for the restitution of usurped property is one of the most important factors that aggravate and limit IDP returns. It is therefore only appropriate to draw the attention of the Council to the additional institutional measures taken by Pristina, such as the draft law on the Kosovo Property Comparison and Verification Agency. This runs counter to the 2011 Technical Agreement on Cadastre, and its adoption would open the door to the legalization of unlawfully confiscated property in Kosovo and Metohija and cause irreparable damage to the Serbian community.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“It is possible to get the false impression, because of the practice of according a separate chapter in the report to Northern Kosovo, that the human rights situation of the members of the Serbian and other non-Albanian communities south of the Ibar River is satisfactory. In order to get a broader perspective on the situation and because a great deal of time has elapsed since we last had a review of the human rights situation in that part of Kosovo and Metohija, I submit that there is a need for an extensive review of the situation, and that the status of the Serbs and Goranci and the members of other non-Albanian communities who live south of the river be included in the next report. The property rights of the Serbs continue to be violated throughout the entire province, especially by the sale of enterprises in Serbian communities.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“The prevention of efforts to obstruct returns is needed, along with respect for the principle of accountability on the part of the international and local actors involved in the process. I therefore call on the United Nations and other representatives of the international administration in Kosovo and Metohij a to see to it that problems that have impeded IDP returns and have aggravated their already difficult situation are overcome. Returnees continue to face repeated security incidents, including attacks on their property, which sends a strong negative message to other Serbs and potential returnees. The situation is not helped by the climate of impunity for crimes committed against Serbs, as reflected in the fact that none of the perpetrators of the murders of more than 1,000 Serbs since 1999 has been given a legally valid sentence.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“To fully understand the obstacles encountered by the IDPs in their quest to return home to Kosovo and Metohija, one should know that, on average, 25 per cent of refugees and IDPs worldwide return home, the percentage varying between a minimum of 12 per cent and a maximum of over 50 per cent. In Kosovo and Metohija, it stands at about a mere 1.5 per cent. That grim reality is a reminder that the task has not been completed and merits the attention of all forthcoming reports of the Secretary-General. The conditions needed for return include, among others, proper security guarantees, freedom of movement, an effective mechanism for the restitution of property and other appurtenant rights, protection from discrimination, access to institutions, documents and justice and support for the economic independence of returnees.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“With respect to the IDPs, the Republic of Serbia is strategically committed to rendering full support to each and every person, either for sustainable return or local integration in the place of displacement in accordance with the intention expressed by each individual. Yet any support that Serbia may render to potential returnees will be insufficient if not given the proper attention and commitment by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Pristina. There is a real risk, for example, that the returnees will not be accepted or even tolerated by the receiving community, especially if the international community is not actively engaged.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source