YouSaid · the spoken record

Daeic

lines on the record: 287
first: 2014-08-29
most recent: 2019-10-31
sittings or episodes: 12
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

“In paragraph 5 of annex 2 of the resolution, among other things, the Security Council calls for the "[e]stablishment of an interim administration to ensure conditions for a peaceful and normal life for all inhabitants in Kosovo." In paragraph 9 (c), it also calls for the establishment of"a secure environment in which refugees and displaced persons can return home in safety". Efforts have been made in that regard and some refugees and displaced persons have indeed returned. But only 1.9 per cent of Serbs have returned for good, While 200,000 of them have remained away from home for 20 long years and it is not likely that they will go home any time soon. And we all know why.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“In crafting the mandate of the international presence in Kosovo and Metohija, in its tenth preambular paragraph the resolution reaffirms "the commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the other States of the region, as set out in the Helsinki Final Act". However, many have taken a Sledgehammer to that provision in order to conceal the fact that an ethnic minority - the Albanian minority, whose mother country is Albania - tried to secede from and take with it a part of the territory of a sovereign country.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“Despite the differences in positions on the issue, it cannot be denied that all sides committed crimes and that there were victims on all sides. Regrettably, we cannot bring back the victims, but we can learn from our mistakes and make sure that they are not repeated. It is therefore important to condemn all the crimes, mourn all the Victims, rule out war as a means of resolving conflict and embark on a path to compromise and a sustainable settlement while achieving lasting reconciliation and economic and political stability. Twenty years ago to the day the Council adopted resolution 1244 (1999). I will try to describe the way in which its provisions dovetail with the facts on the ground, because the way they do that says a great deal about the validity and relevance of the resolution and UNMIK, as well as the task ahead of us.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“However, I cannot let the occasion pass without mentioning the numerous civilian victims and their tragic fate, and how Serbia was ravaged in 78 days of bombardment with depleted uranium. I want to remember the 666 Victims who died in Kosovo and Metohija after the war ended on 10 June 1999, and following the arrival of the United Nations Mission and KFOR. Of the 666 victims, 562 were Serbs, and 7,391 of the 8,134 attacks were against Serbs. Twenty years later, the only thing that we can say with certainty is that the primary victims of the conflict in Kosovo and Metohija and the bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia were innocent civilians who were either killed or expelled, regardless of whether they were Serbs, Albanians or some other nationality.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“The risk of the situation worsening on the ground could prove costly, and in the context of recent developments I am sure that no one wishes to run that risk. Unfortunately, the authorities in Pristina are turning a deaf ear to discussions of the matter. They think that they can reduce the Mission by beating up its members and expelling them. On this very day, 20 years ago, the illegal bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the aggression by NATO, without any decision of the Council, came to an end. We are all aware of the negative effects that this precedent has had on international relations and on various events that have happened in the world over the past 20 years.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“The developments in Kosovo and Metohija over the past several weeks and months are telling evidence that the international community should be much more alert and invest much more effort, and that the international organizations in Kosovo and Metohija should be much more active. We have recently witnessed some Security Council members calling for a so-called strategic review of UNMIK's mandate and for its reduction and even withdrawal. At this point in time, however, it is difficult even to conceive of making any kind of change in direction, let alone taking action on it. Surely we all understand how far we are today from a stable and secure situation in Kosovo and Metohija that no longer warrants the Council's attention.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“I spoke about it with Special Representative Tanin, who informed me officially that they were in fact there on duty. Mikhail Krasnoshchekov was beaten, unlawfully arrested and subsequently declared persona non grata, contrary to the relevant United Nations convention. Not even members of the United Nations Mission are safe in Kosovo. How can we expect the Mission to carry out its mandate if its personnel can be attacked at will and declared undesirable if they do not happen to be to Pristina's liking? What will it be next - the expulsion of the entire Mission? And Pristina, which has no shame, is now offering to negotiate UNMIK's future presence in northern Kosovo with the Secretary-General. I would like to point out that it is the Council that decides on the Mission's mandate and that it was established by resolution 1244 (1999).”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“If that unacceptable act is not widely condemned, including by the Council, it will have served its purpose, and the Serbian population of Kosovo and Metohija will continue to be intimidated and terrorized. Following the signing of the Brussels Agreement, I attended a meeting with Catherine Ashton, Hashim Thaci and Aleksandar Vucic at NATO's headquarters in Brussels. It was agreed at the meeting that no Kosovo security force would enter the North without first complying with two conditions - notifying the Kosovo Force (KFOR) and advising the representatives of the Serb communities in northern Kosovo and Metohija, neither of which condition was met on this occasion. On top of that, two United Nations personnel were brutalized and arrested, although they did not attempt to resist and were not armed.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“Yet those messages are being dismissed without a response and glossed over as trivial. Two weeks ago, a so-called anti-corruption and anti-organized crime operation was carried out in northern Kosovo and Metohija. Kosovo's special police Regional Operations Support Unit arrested more than 30 people. Serbia supports the fight against organized crime throughout its territory, but the use of long guns and excessive force, along with the televised spectacle that followed, were indicative of a different goal altogether - intimidating the remaining Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. More than 70 combat vehicles were deployed and Serbs were brutally beaten, while Albanians were apprehended without any forceful measures.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“We signed the Agreement only because it guaranteed the establishment of a community of Serb municipalities. However, the representatives of Pristina, without mincing their words, have said that they are not going to implement what was agreed to. Dissatisfied with their treatment, they threatened the European Union that they would consider unification with Albania and annex three other municipalities in southern Serbia to boot. Can Pristina be considered a serious and responsible party with which we should continue to negotiate? Who can convince us now that it will not behave in the same way in this process in the future? We have also heard a litany of threatening messages from Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama on the possibility of the unification of Albania and Kosovo.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“The entire international community encouraged us to continue the dialogue. We were asked to be patient in the face of Pristina's constant prevarications about implementing any agreement. This also represents a serious dent in the credibility of the European Union, which is a signatory to the Brussels Agreement and thereby a guarantor of its implementation. Let me once again remind the Council that in August 2013, as the then Prime Minister of Serbia, together with Hashim Thaci and Catherine Ashton, I signed the First Agreement on Principles Governing the Normalization of Relations between Belgrade and Pristina, known as the Brussels Agreement. The negotiations that preceded the signing were very difficult for Serbia, but as a responsible partner, my country has implemented all the obligations it assumed.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“What we need are two countries that behave reasonably and sensibly and that are ready to talk and then to implement what they agree on. In the European Union-facilitated negotiations in Brussels, one of the parties to the dialogue has done so since the very beginning. The other, regrettably, has not. Last week we heard from Pristina that it was not planning to implement any part of what was agreed to six years ago, including the establishment of a community of Serb municipalities. That statement by Hashim Thaci makes us wonder what we have been doing all this time. Because if an agreement is reached, signed and guaranteed, including by the European Union, but goes unimplemented by Pristina for six years and is eventually rejected outright, we have to ask if there was ever a dialogue at all. It was not just Serbia that was deceived.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“Despite the claims of some that our deliberations are often antagonistic and unconstructive, the Council's consideration of the situation in Kosovo and Metohija represents a vital opportunity for providing the Security Council and the international community with regular and transparent advice on the situation on the ground and the key political and security challenges that we face in Kosovo, however difficult they may be and despite the fact that it is evident that our positions differ. At the outset, I want to reiterate my call for a dialogue and for a solution to the decades-long problem of Kosovo and Metohija through peaceful means and compromise. I hope that the entire Council subscribes to that and is Willing to state loudly and clearly what is required for a successful dialogue.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“Mr. Daeic' (Serbia) (Spoke in Serbian; interpretation provided by the delegation): I thank Secretary-General Guterres and Special Representative Tanin for their efforts in implementing the mandate of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) under resolution 1244 (1999). For almost two years now we have been arguing in the Security Council about whether we should be meeting two, three or four times a year. All this time, however, the situation in Kosovo and Metohija has been going from bad to worse. Unfortunately, it is clear from the current situation that the decision to reduce the number of meetings was premature. However, I do believe that we are now done with the procedural issues and can begin to address the core issues and ensure that our meetings are productive.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“That is why peace and stability in the region are among Serbia's priorities: so that the victims are never forgotten and to avoid another war in the future.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“Serbia paid for the great victory with many casualties. According to data from the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, Serbia lost 1,247,435 people. That is 28 per cent of its population and 62 per cent of its male population aged between 18 and 55 years old. Of those killed, 845,000 were civilians. Almost every tenth victim of the First World War was Serbian. To honour those Serbian victims of the First World War, the former President of the United States Woodrow Wilson took the decision to fly the Serbian flag over the White House and all United States national institutions on 28 June 1918. A similar decision was only ever repeated once in the history of the United States, when it decided to do the same with the French flag some years later.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“The answer as to whether we need Security Council meetings and UNMIK will be found once we find a mutually acceptable solution. Until then, we have resolution 1244 (1999), adopted by this organ, with which we all must comply. For its part, Serbia will make the utmost effort to continue the dialogue and to reach a lasting solution that respects the interests of both the Serbian and the Albanian peoples. Let us strive to seek a compromise for the future, a lasting peace between Serbs and Albanians, the prosperity of both Serbs and Albanians and peace and stability in the entire region. Once that happens, we will not need either UNMIK or Security Council meetings on the issue. In conclusion, we have recently been marking the centenary of the end of the First World War, in which Serbia fought on the side of the allies.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“As I recall, President Obama also called on all countries not to recognize Palestine until it reached an agreement with Israel. However, in the case of Serbia many countries did the opposite. Serbia could not agree more and earnestly seeks to achieve a compromise on the question of Kosovo and Metohij a. We are committed to finding a mutually acceptable solution. Such a solution cannot be found without agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, just as it is not possible without the Security Council's support. To that end, I once again call on the Security Council to help that process and to use the momentum to move forward. The divisions within the Security Council on the issue and the discussions as to whether we need UNMIK or not clearly do not help.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“It did not matter to it that it was not a member of INTERPOL. We are talking about Kosovo's attempt to misuse that organization to try and enter by the back door in order to prejudge the outcome. The circumstances may have made the thrust of my statement sound sombre and negative. However, I would like to conclude on a positive note. At the recent Security Council open debate on strengthening multilateralism, the observer of the European Union pointed out, inter alia, that we have learned that sustainable peace always requires a negotiated political solution (see S/PV.8395). Among other matters, the Security Council often discusses that and calls on other countries to first reach a solution on external issues and then for the rest of the countries to consider the situation.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“In fact, Pristina's campaign, openly aided and abetted by some States, whereby certain countries overtly take part in lobbying and calling on other countries to recognize Kosovo in international organizations and to vote for it, seeks to present so-called Kosovo's membership of INTERPOL as a matter of security and combating crime. That is unsubstantiated and unacceptable. It is quite obvious that there are political aspirations involved. Pristina does not want to join INTERPOL in order to combat crime but to present itself as an independent country. On the other hand, that is why we always say that every country should bear in mind that such issues have an inherent status. They are not specialist issues. Pristina did not bother to extradite Giilen's supporters to Turkey within 24 hours.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“However, the lack of grounds for its applications and their inconsistency with the basic principles of international law are conducive to the politicization of those organizations, their division and an unnecessary waste of energy. In that connection, let me give one clear example: the application of so-called Kosovo to become a member of INTERPOL. The argument to which Pristina often resorts is that it cannot cooperate with INTERPOL because it is not a member. That falsehood is exposed by the assertion in the Secretary-General's report that we are considering today, which states that UNMIK continues to ensure communication between the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Pristina and INTERPOL. Under the memorandum of understanding between INTERPOL and UNMIK, such cooperation has continued for more than 15 years.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“It did so in breach of the rules and regulations of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), which it currently chairs, and had such an action strongly condemned by all international actors, including the European Union. Serbia agreed for Kosovo to take part in the regional initiative. Serbia was asked to do so, and it did so, and now Kosovo is not respecting CEFTA, which it chairs. It is interesting that even Hashim Thaci himself disagrees with that decision of the Pristina authorities. The policy is therefore not clear to me. We have good and bad policemen in Kosovo. Instead on dialogue, Pristina is focusing on attempts to become a member ofinternational organizations in the mistaken belief that it will thereby prove its statehood, refusing to accept that such attempts are disruptive to any solution whatsoever.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“For them, calls to disrespect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a full-fledged State Member of the United Nations heard from some countries - and which I am sure we will hear at today's meeting, since they always do so in my presence - will openly appeal to other countries to recognize Kosovo. What does that mean? They can lobby countries to recognize Kosovo, whereas Serbia may not call on countries to withdraw such recognition. It seems that something is very wrong in that reasoning. In desperation, last week Pristina increased its tariffs on goods from Serbia by 10 per cent to punish my country for how it was conducting its foreign policy.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“They realized that they had not been sufficiently informed of the situation and thought that it was necessary to give dialogue a chance and that everyone would respect the outcome of the dialogue. That number could soon rise significantly and the number of those that have recognized the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo could fall below one half of the United Nations membership. Decisions to withdraw such recognition are condemned by Pristina and some States, while Serbia's petitions are disqualified as provocations. Conversely, for such States Pristina's lobbying for new recognitions is a legitimate exercise, not a provocation.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“I can agree that the situation in Kosovo is significantly different than it was in 1999 or 2009, but the Mission is also different from what it was at that time. To allege, however, that the Mission is not needed and that it has fulfilled its purpose is far from reality. Considering that this organ is responsible for the UNMIK mandate, I would like to ask on this occasion whether and what the Secretary-General replied to Ambassador Haley. Some Council members are of the View that the status of Kosovo is a finished story; at the same time, many think that it is not. Many States are now reconsidering their decision to recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and, to date, 10 States have changed that decision. They have revoked their recognition or suspended it.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“Does that mean that the expulsion of 200,000 Serbs is done and dusted? Are we supposed not to mention it any more? Whatever happened to over 1,500 missing Serbs? We keep hearing such insinuations from other parties, as if Serbian victims were less important. For some, this is an uncomfortable yet undeniable truth. Almost everyone sitting at this table supports the international presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the general situation cannot be compared to that of Kosovo and Metohija and where we can all agree that the security of citizens is not threatened. Why is the international presence needed in Bosnia and Herzegovina but not in Kosovo and Metohija? Why have some Council members not raised the issue of removing the international presence from Bosnia and Herzegovina, as they have with respect to Kosovo?”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“Do they accept that democratic institutions do not carry out the agreements and obligations they have undertaken? The Brussels agreement was signed but has not been implemented by Pristina. Do they believe that democracy is served when tear-gas grenades are lobbed in Parliament, as we have seen occur in Pristina for years now? Is it evidence of the rule of law when, every now and then, Pristina pardons criminals sentenced for the most heinous criminal offences, including members of the Drenica Group? Can the intimidation of returnees, attacks on members of minority communities and daily discrimination against them be accepted as a normal state of affairs? Has the desired standard of respect for human rights been achieved by the return of a mere 1.9 per cent of IDPs? Is that a sufficient number to warrant giving up on further returns?”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“I reiterate that Serbia believes that these issues must be addressed without politicization and with respect for each and every Victim, and of course with recourse to the truth and the facts concerning all parties to the war. On this occasion, I cannot fail to mention the letter addressed to the Secretary-General by the departing United States Ambassador to the United Nations, urging him to initiate a strategic review of UNMIK and to develop an exit strategy from Kosovo. We have heard again and again at these meetings that UNMIK has fulfilled its mandate and that it is no longer needed, in light of the fact that the so-called Kosovo has built democratic institutions and that the rule of law and human rights are being respected. I must once again put the following questions to all those who have made these arguments.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“It is almost as if Serbian victims were less important and that sexual violence against Serbian nationals were justified and unpunishable. In this atmosphere of the justification of crimes against Serbs, it was possible for the so-called Government of Kosovo to nominate Fatmir Limaj as chief of the negotiating team in the dialogue with Belgrade. As a commander in the Kosovo Liberation Army, he raped and killed, according to the testimony of Albanians themselves, the Mazreku brothers, witnesses and accomplices to the crime, and a number of Serbian women in the village of Klecka. That is the man dispatched as head of the team to negotiate with Serbia.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“The information contained in the report and based on the data of the Commission for the Verification and Recognition of Sexual Violence Victim Status in Kosovo - according to which, out of 782 complaints, only 137 have been accepted - is indicative of the years-long practice by Pristina of presenting falsehoods to the Security Council and continually invoking the World Health Organization (WHO), even though that agency does not possess any such data. I have submitted requests to the WHO, which has confirmed that it does not have any such information. At these meetings of the Council, we have heard repeated allegations of the existence of 20,000 victims of sexual Violence, on the basis of which attempts have been made to establish a hierarchy of Victims based on ethnic, religious or other attachments.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“Serbia condemns most strongly such horrific acts of violence and believes that all perpetrators must be punished and that victims should be provided with appropriate protection and help. The number of Victims of sexual violence in conflict does not diminish the dreadful effect of such Violence on each individual victim, just as speculation about numbers does not help justice, leads to politicization and slows down the process of reconciliation in post-conflict societies.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“The latest report of the Secretary-General fails to refer to the approximately 200,000 IDPs who - according to a report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees - have waited 19 years but still do not enjoy their rights because of these unacceptable practices. The assertions regarding stability are most certainly undercut as well by the number of foreign terrorist fighters from Kosovo, concerning which the Secretary-General also expresses concern in his report. Reports that one group planned to carry out terrorist attacks in Serbian majority communities and on KFOR are particularly alarming. Another important and sensitive topic is the question of sexual violence in conflict.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“Arbitrary arrests - that is, arrests of returnees on trumped-up charges - physical assaults and injuries, the stoning of the faithful and assaults on priests, the destruction of property, disturbing graffiti, the desecration of memorial plaques, national and religious hatred, the destruction of graveyards, provocations, institutional discrimination, the absence of the rule of law and an independent judiciary, drawn- out procedures, inadequate protection of evidence and witnesses, failure to enforce court decisions and other injustices are among the obstacles encountered these days by those attempting to return home.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“These are only some of the incidents that threaten security in Kosovo and Metohija and burden its already complex situation. I have to admit that I do not understand how this situation can be characterized as stable by anybody. Perhaps a "stable situation" implies that Serbs are fair game, that attacks on them are normal, that they do and will occur, and that they do not merit attention or response. I would remind Council members that many of these attacks are directed at IDPs and returnees. How are we to expect even a modicum of progress to take place in the process of IDP returns if, in the Europe of the twenty-first century, we continue to recognize that the security situation is still the biggest challenge as the returnees continue to be targets of ethnically motivated attacks?”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“That is the kind of conditions that the cultural heritage of Serbs must endure in Kosovo and Metohija. I take this opportunity to thank international representatives who prevented such unfortunate action by their timely intervention. Attacks on Serbs and their property have occurred once again, including against those en route to the graveyards of their relatives, as well as against children in a playground. Unlike the report of the Secretary- General (S/2018/981), that of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Mission in Kosovo registers 173 incidents involving members of non-Albanian communities from January to June alone, and says that the overall number of incidents rose by almost 20 per cent compared to the previous six months.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“What kind of dialogue are we talking about if, 2,000 days after the signing of the Brussels Agreement and the commitments to the European Union contained therein were undertaken by Pristina, none has been fulfilled, including the formation of the association/community of Serb-majority municipalities? That association, of course, should be the basis for the formation of the aforementioned energy companies and for further discussion of the topic of energy. Other developments also took place within the two previous reporting periods. The Pristina authorities decided to build a road through the special protected zone of the Visoki Decani monastery, built in the fourteenth century and included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and sent bulldozers to its courtyard. Someone wrote "ISIL" on the gates of the monastery.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“The recent attempt to interfere with the work of Elektromreza Srbije, Serbia's power transmission network, and the intention of Pristina to take over the energy infrastructure in northern Kosovo and Metohija are also indicative in that regard. I recall that energy is a subject matter of the Brussels dialogue and that we have expressed our concern on a number of occasions over the steps Pristina has taken that threaten the energy stability of the entire region, despite its failure to fulfil its obligation to register two energy companies in northern Kosovo and Metohija. Allow me to say that, according to the Brussels Agreement, the formation of the association/ community of Serb-majority is important.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“We consider the KFOR and European Union (EU) reactions to have been inadequate and, to say the least, incongruent with their role and mandate. Escalation was avoided thanks to the calm prevailing on our side, the messages of the President of Serbia and the restraint of the Serbs in northern Kosovo and Metohija, who, although alarmed, demonstrated maturity and did not take the bait of provocation. The message sent by the Gazivoda incident, however, is of particular concern. The reservoir and the hydroelectric plant are strategically important for both us and the Pristina side, yet Pristina is not ready to discuss substantive issues.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“I am afraid that the only goal of that irrational action was to provoke and intimidate the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, and not for the first time. That too, let me point out, was a clear violation of resolution 1244 (1999) and the Brussels Agreement. As the First Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, I personally attended, along with Catherine Ashton, Hashim Thaci and Aleksandar Vucie, a NATO meeting at the time of the signing of the Brussels Agreement in 2013, at which agreement was reached that no Kosovo security force could go to the north, unless two conditions were met: first, advice given to KF OR; and secondly, consent given by representatives of the Serbian municipalities in northern Kosovo and Metohija. Neither of those two occurred.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“During his visit to Kosovo and Metohija on 8 and 9 September, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucie was prevented from visiting the locality of Banja, in a Serbian enclave, because the Pristina authorities changed their initial decision at the last moment, regardless of his clear message of peace and calls for a sustainable solution for Kosovo and Metohija. The raid by the special police forces of Gazivode reservoir was the most drastic example of provocation. Sixty members of the special Regional Operational Support Unit units, wearing balaclavas and wielding long-barrel guns, descended on Gazivode reservoir and hydroelectric plant in northern Kosovo and Metohija to enable Hashim Thaci to make a visit.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“At the same time, it is an important guarantor of the implementation of the Brussels Agreement and, in practical terms, the only guarantor of the security and survival of the Serbs, their property and their religious and cultural heritage. Let me point out that it is unacceptable that radical, far-reaching and unilateral decisions be taken at a time when of ongoing dialogue aimed at finding a solution, and I expect the Security Council members to condemn Pristina's decision in that regard.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“The so-called Kosovo Assembly has adopted laws that will make it possible, for all practical purposes, for the Kosovo Security Force to transform into armed forces. The constant calls of the international community for caution and disregard for the interests of the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija notwithstanding, the authorities in Pristina are resolved to form the armed forces. Serbia is categorically opposed to such unilateral acts, for it is evident that those forces would have all the attributes and competencies of a military, irrespective of what they might be named. Let me recall that, under resolution l244 (1999) and the Military Technical Agreement, the Kosovo Force (KF OR) is the only legal military formation in Kosovo and Metohija.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“It is with regret that I note that no substantive, positive changes have taken place since the last meeting of the Security Council on this item (see S/PV.8254). More than 2,000 days have passed without the formation of the association/community of Serb- majority municipalities, which is the cornerstone of the Brussels Agreement; no conditions have been created for the return of 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs); the Specialist Chambers have not begun their work and almost a year has passed since the murder of Oliver Ivanovie, while the perpetrator of that heinous crime has not been found. None of that has happened, and one would be hard-pressed to say that what has been done has been positive. Resolutions of this organ have been grossly violated and new provocations and new incidents have occurred. Let me mention just a few.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“The conflict is far behind us, but we are equally far from establishing a stable and safe situation that no longer merits the attention of this organ. To allege that this topic is less important at a time when extensive efforts are being made to find a durable and sustainable solution, with great support from important actors in the international community, is counterproductive, to say the least. We continue to believe that agreement should be reached among Council members on how often this topic should be considered in the Security Council and that the question of frequency is not a technical matter. I recall that Serbia tried hard to make a contribution to achieving a solution by agreement, and we are ready to continue the discussion of that question with all interested parties in the same constructive spirit.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“The adoption of the programme of work of the Security Council was called into question, which constitutes a situation that is certainly harmful for both the solution of that issue and the prevailing tone in this organ. Membership of the Security Council, let me recall, is a great privilege and a great responsibility, and its members must do their best to safeguard international peace and security. For years, the United Nations and its Member States have spared no effort or time working to prevent conflicts, and we are all called upon to do what it takes to prevent, at the first sign, instability from metamorphosing into a conflict. In this case, we are faced with a situation of a semi-resolved problem being neglected.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“In August, we did not have the regular meeting on UNMIK, and I cannot but express my displeasure at the decision of the United Kingdom not to include that item in the programme of work of the Security Council, with the explanation that the situation in Kosovo and Metohija was calm and nothing was happening on the ground. I take this opportunity to point out why that approach is wrong and why we consider that it is important at this moment that this topic remain high on the Council's agenda. We spent more than three hours - the time it usually takes to hold a Security Council meeting - discussing if it was necessary to convene the meeting or not. An unnecessary adversarial atmosphere between Belgrade and Pristina was created, as was division among Security Council members.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“Mr. Daeic' (Serbia) (Spoke in Serbian; interpretation provided by the delegation): At the outset, I thank Secretary-General Guterres for his report (8/2018/981) and his Special Representative, Mr. Tanin, for his briefing. I also thank them for their dedication and hard work on the implementation of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), under resolution 1244 (1999). I commend China for including this meeting, in line with the established dynamic, on the agenda of the Security Council, as well as the Council members who support a continued consideration of this question.”
2018-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8399 (2018) · source
“Serbia wants to find common interests with Western countries. I hope that everyone knows that there can be no lasting peace and stability in the Balkans or in Europe without respect for the interests of Serbia and the Serbian people, as it is the largest State and largest nation in that region. Serbia's policy is one of peace and economic links and prosperity. I therefore call on all of members once again to focus on seeking a compromise and sustainable solution to this decades-long problem, so that the entire Western Balkans may become a region of lasting peace, stability, security and mutual trust.”
2018-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8254 (2018) · source
“We treat all Members of this Organization as friends and partners. Reciprocal treatment, including greater understanding of our position and arguments, would be welcome and is expected. We were on the same side during both World Wars. On 28 July we will mark 100 years since the Serbian flag was first flown on the White House and all public buildings in the United States on the order of then President Woodrow Wilson to honour the enormous suffering of the Serbian people in the First World War. French President Macron is expected to visit Serbia this year. Along with President Vueic', he will unveil the renovated Monument of Gratitude to France, which was built to honour the historic alliance in the First World War. A summit of the European Union and the Western Balkans on the European future of our region will be held in London in July.”
2018-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8254 (2018) · source
“Such attempts run counter to the basic principles of international law and unnecessarily politicize the work of those organizations. In conclusion, I would like to thank all countries that have not recognized the unilateral declaration of independence ofKosovo for their consistent support and principled respect of the Charter of the United Nations and resolution 1244 (1999), as well as those that have withdrawn recognition or are considering it. I would like to inform the Council that Suriname and Burundi have revoked their recognition of Kosovo. I would also like to advise the members of the Security Council who protest the withdrawals that their protests are not contributing to the quest for an efficient and effective solution to the problem. Unconditional support for one side is not a way to achieve compromise.”
2018-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8254 (2018) · source