YouSaid · the spoken record

Daeie

lines on the record
185
first
2012-08-21
most recent
2019-02-07
sittings or episodes
7
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

  1. “As a rule, no one was held accountable or punished for those incidents. Of particular importance is the increase in the number of registered ethnically motivated low-intensity crimes, such as threats, intimidation and theft. Such "low- intensity" crimes contribute to further limiting the freedom of movement. In the period under review, the continued increase in the number of detentions and arrests of members of the Serbian community - without any explanation of the legal basis on which such warrants were issued - has been the cause of additional concern and anxiety. The unlawful detention and beating of 11 Serbian youths in Gracanica on Christmas Eve further heightened concern and fear among the Serbian population in Kosovo and Metohija.”

    2013-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6939 (2013) · source

  2. “The main problems we continue to face include limits to, and the prevention of, the freedom of movement, a lack of security, the impossibility of using the Serbian language, difficult access to institutions, a lack of the necessary conditions for the sustainable return of refugees, constant threats to Serbian cultural and religious heritage, and the illegal seizure of property owned by the Republic of Serbia. Those problems are surely the most important factors negatively affecting the quality of life itself. According to the available data, 93 ethnically motivated attacks were recorded between 1 October 2012 and 31 January 2013, in which one person was killed and 20 persons were injured. Within just a few days in January of this year, 102 tombstones were damaged or destroyed in Orthodox graveyards.”

    2013-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6939 (2013) · source

  3. “In the period under consideration, the Republic of Serbia once again demonstrated its willingness and readiness to participate actively in, and to make a contribution to, overcoming the existing problems. The main goal of that constructive approach is to find a solution that will improve life for all communities in Kosovo and Metohija while also preserving the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia. I regret to note that, in spite of the long-standing international presence, the situation on the ground has not improved substantially.”

    2013-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6939 (2013) · source

  4. “A few days ago, we commemorated the ninth anniversary of the March pogrom during which 19 persons were killed, 4,000 Serbs were expelled and 6 towns and 10 villages were ethnically cleansed, while over 150 religious sites of the Serbian Orthodox Church, of which 34 date back to the Middle Ages, were damaged or destroyed. Some of them are of particular cultural significance and under the protection of UNESCO. According to United Nations estimates, 51,000 individuals took part in the pogrom, and none of them were held accountable. For that reason, we call for the resumption of the investigation, which would lead to the identification of perpetrators, as well as the instigators of the March pogrom, so that the crime does not remain yet another crime without punishment.”

    2013-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6939 (2013) · source

  5. “The Republic of Serbia has great interest in strengthening the political composition of UNMIK, in particular with respect to questions of special importance for the Serbian community. In that regard, special mention should be made of the protection of cultural and religious heritage, in particular of the Serbian Orthodox Church, improving the level of legal and security protection and realizing the right to free return and reconciliation. In fact, those questions form the fundamental basis for the establishment of conditions necessary for normal coexistence among all communities in Kosovo and Metohija.”

    2013-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6939 (2013) · source

  6. “It is of the utmost importance that the UNMIK Administration in northern Mitrovica continue to fulfil its mandate and find a status-neutral way for the missions in Kosovo and Metohija to function, as provided for in resolution 1244 (1999). For the Republic of Serbia, the continued financing of the UNMIK Administration in Mitrovica is of particular importance. We deem unacceptable any further limitations on the activities of the Administration for reasons of financial constraints due to the cessation of financing by the provisional institutions of self- government in Pristina. After all, UNMIK is the only legitimate international presence that the people in the north of Kosovo and Metohija continue to trust.”

    2013-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6939 (2013) · source

  7. “The Republic of Serbia believes that the United Nations should continue to perform its key role of coordinating all international actors engaged in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija under its aegis. We believe that the role of UNMIK in stabilizing the situation in the region is irreplaceable. Its current mandate must therefore remain unchanged and, if possible, strengthened, irrespective of projected budgetary restrictions. We support an increase in UNMIK's activities, as well as a heightened presence for the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and more efficient cooperation between two missions.”

    2013-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6939 (2013) · source

  8. “A number of very important issues were discussed at the recent meetings held in Brussels, including the functioning of the agreement on the integrated management of crossing points as well as the exchange and the status ofliaison officers. The meeting in Brussels between Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic' and Ms. Atifete Jahjaga once again clearly confirmed our political positions spelled out in the resolution of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. In line with that resolution, the specificities of the territory of Kosovo and Metohija are recognized in accordance with Council resolution 1244 (1999). However, it also notes the existence of the Serbian and other communities that should have certain autonomous status.”

    2013-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6939 (2013) · source

  9. “We shall continue to promote and carry out our policy based on the search for peaceful solutions through a constructive dialogue with Pristina, which has already yielded significant results. For the Government of the Republic of Serbia, dialogue is the only way to find sustainable solutions for the problems that the people of Kosovo and Metohija face on a daily basis. We are resolved to fully implement the agreements reached thus far, and we are open to talks on all issues. The Republic of Serbia has embarked upon dialogue out of a desire to achieve concrete progress in the talks between Belgrade and Pristina.”

    2013-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6939 (2013) · source

  10. “On a number of occasions during the period under consideration, the Government of the Republic of Serbia confirmed its readiness to make a substantial and constructive contribution to overcoming outstanding issues and to offer solutions that meet the needs of all population groups. My country's concerted policy is based on seeking compromise while actively defending our national interests, with equal respect for the legitimate rights of both Serbs and Albanians living in Kosovo and Metohija. Accordingly, we continue to oppose unilateral steps from all quarters * for example, the decision of the Assembly of Kosovo to ask for an international country code for Kosovo through the Republic of Albania, even though negotiations regarding telecommunications are pending.”

    2013-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6939 (2013) · source

  11. “The Government of the Republic of Serbia very much appreciates the efforts of the international community to establish a constructive atmosphere in the talks between Belgrade and Pristina under the auspices of the European Union. I have studied carefully the report of the Secretary- General on the work ofUNMIK from 16 October 2012 to 15 January 2013 (S/2013/72). It is with regret that I note that the information set out in the report continues to reflect the very precarious and sensitive position of the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as the existence of considerable security concerns. The Republic of Serbia is firmly committed to building peace, security and stability in the region, in its quest to establish a foundation for a common European future.”

    2013-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6939 (2013) · source

  12. “Mr. Daeie (Serbia) (spoke in Serbian; English interpretation provided by the delegation): At the outset, I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting in accordance with resolution 1244 (1999). I would also like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Mr. Farid Zarif, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Interim Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), for his work to date. The Republic of Serbia considers UNMIK as the key factor in establishing peace and stability in Kosovo and Metohija. We strongly support its activities aimed at ensuring living conditions for all population groups there.”

    2013-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6939 (2013) · source

  13. “What has so far been lacking is a credible interlocutor who is willing and able to do what is necessary to reach a comprehensive settlement. Compromises will need to be made for an agreement to be reached. It is not only we who must grasp that point; Pristina must do so also. As we consider how to move forward, we could draw inspiration from Nelson Mandela, who has movingly written that "If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner".”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  14. “I say this not only as Serbia's Prime Minister, but foremost as someone who was born in Kosovo and Metohija, in Prizren, a city that in the Middle Ages served as the Serbian capital and in which today there are fewer than 20 Serbs. That will require both parties to make difficult and courageous decisions. We are ready to do our part. Serbia is ready for normalization and regional reconciliation. That is in the interests of ordinary citizens. Serbia is also ready to engage in a dialogue whose goal is to arrive at a comprehensive solution, but we are not, nor will we be, ready to accept Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. Unilateral moves, on anyone's part, do not bring us closer to a comprehensive settlement. Quite the contrary, they can only pull us farther away.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  15. “International media stories continue to bring to our attention the fact that the alleged criminal trail leads to many parts of the world, including to some of the members of the Security Council. We appeal to the Council to ensure that a comprehensive and independent investigation remains a United Nations priority. Serbia has made proposals with regard to the investigation mechanism we envision. As with the briefings given to the Security Council twice annually by senior officials of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, we expect that the investigators dealing with the organ trafficking case will brief the Council in a similar manner. We are committed to reaching lasting peace between Serbs and Albanians in the Balkans. But for such a peace to be lasting it must also be just.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  16. “That will be necessary in order for the Task Force to be able to uncover the full truth about various terrible allegations, including those made in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly report, which, in paragraph 68, identifies a number of senior Kosovo Liberation Army officials as having "played vital roles as co-conspirators in various categories of criminal activity". That includes human- organ trafficking. As on previous occasions before the Council, Serbia underscores its belief that the Security Council must play a significant role in the matter, as it is the organ able to secure the obligatory and binding cooperation of Member States.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  17. “In the same way as Serbia has done everything to uncover and prosecute all those who committed atrocities against the Albanian population in Kosovo, Serbia expects that the full truth will be sought out and that all who are responsible for such war crimes against Serbs in Kosovo will be punished. The families of the Serbian victims must not be seen as being any less deserving of justice than the victims of other war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s. Serbia supports the work of the EULEX Task Force, which has, as annex I of the Secretary-General's report states, intensified contacts and working relationships with a number of State and non-State actors. Nonetheless, as has been the case since before the establishment of the Task Force, the critical question of jurisdiction remains unanswered.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  18. “Serbian officials have continued to meticulously follow the investigation launched by the EULEX Special Investigative Task Force into the allegations made in a December 2010 report written by the Swiss task force member, Mr. Dick Marty, and nearly unanimously approved by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. According to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly report, entitled "Investigation of allegations of inhuman treatment of people and illicit trafficking in human organs in Kosovo", hundreds of Serbs were abducted in Kosovo before, during and immediately after the 1999 conflict and sent to secret detention camps in the Republic of Albania. Many of them were subsequently selected for forced surgery before being murdered. Their internal body organs were extracted and sold on the international black market.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  19. “Furthermore, the Secretary-General's report draws attention to numerous instances of the disproportionate use offorce by the Kosovo police service, and underscores the repeated refusal by the so-called Minister of the Interior, Bajram Rexhepi, to launch disciplinary action against those under his command who engage in brutal and discriminatory conduct or whose inaction threatens the safety of Serbs. The Secretary-General explicitly concludes that the incidents outlined in his report "provide grounds for serious concern with regard to the institutional capacity of the Kosovo police to manage tensions and build public confidence" (ibid, para. 18). Against that backdrop, the announced abrogation of the executive functions of the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) is even more worrisome.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  20. “This worrisome and highly discriminatory practice was confirmed to the authors of the report by a Kosovo police official, who is quoted in the document as saying that "It is a public secret that Serb cars are marked." Seven decades after the old continent saw the end of regimes visually marking members of ethnic groups in public, the practice has now returned to European shores. Such a practice, if it is true, must be condemned in the harshest of terms. This is yet another piece of evidence that the ethnic Albanian authorities are engaged in an ongoing campaign to discriminate against and terrify Serbs.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  21. “The stated aim of that programme is, apparently, to eliminate discrimination, as all residents of the province are supposed to be provided with ethnically unidentifiable plates. However, a recent European Union-funded report brings this fundamentally into question. Authored by the European non-governmental organization Diadikasia, it is entitled "Freedom of movement: issuance of RKS license plates to members of non-Albanian communities in Kosovo, 2012." I cite its troubling conclusion: "There is a pattern, according to which only certain couples of letters are issued to members of the Serbian community". According to the evidence, Kosovo Albanians are issued plates with different letter combinations.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  22. “In the current reporting period, only 45 Kosovo Serb internally displaced persons returned to the province. According to reports by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, that number is less than half who did so during the same period last year. Let me remind the Council that, according to the United Nations, more than 200,000 non-Albanians have been expelled from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija since June 1999. The Secretary-General's report notes a "decision by the Kosovo authorities to ban, as from July, the use of Serbian licence plates issued for Kosovo" (ibid, para. 14). That has led some Kosovo Serbs to adopt the new automobile number plate system issued by Pristina.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  23. “Moreover, it underscores that "acts of vandalism and religious intolerance have continued during the reporting period, including thefts of money, gates and a bell from the premises of an Orthodox Church and the desecration of Orthodox cemeteries" (5/2012/603, para. 35). Furthermore, the report mentions "[f]our incidents of verbal or physical attacks against Orthodox monks" (ibid, para. 35). No descriptions are given, with the document remaining silent about whether arrests were made in connection with any of those hate crimes. In our view, those and many other incidents are part of an orchestrated campaign of intimidation directed at Kosovo Serbs. It clearly has the ultimate aim of completing the total ethnic cleansing of Serbs and the cultural cleansing of our patrimony. The results are clear.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  24. “Should it become necessary, Serbia will work through the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly to ensure that additional funds are allocated to UNMIK through the upcoming budgeting process. The Secretary-General's report addresses the security threats faced by the Serbian community in both north and South Kosovo. It draws attention to the double murder of the elected Kosovo Serb village representative and his wife near the town of Urosevac. Unfortunately, the perpetrators remain at large, as is almost always the case in attacks against Serbs. The report also highlights the numerous threatening letters and pamphlets sent by ultra-nationalist pan-Albanian organizations to returnees. In addition, it lists various cases of arson, theft, looting of homes and stoning of Serb vehicles.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  25. “Let me underline that, in spite of those disturbing developments, our long- standing position on the European Union's engagement in Kosovo remains unchanged. We believe that the EU should sustain its status-neutral efforts in order to build the lacking institutional environment and improve the dismal societal conditions in the province. I would like clearly to state Serbia's position that what is required is deeper engagement by EULEX, not retrenchment. If EULEX does not have enough capacity, an alternative is for the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to review its own reconfiguration and presence level, in accordance with resolution 1244 (1999).”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  26. “That is the reason that this body's presidential statement of 26 November 2008 (S/PRST/2008/44) and the Secretary-General's report (S/2008/692) of 24 November 2008 were able to affirm that EULEX would fully respect resolution 1244 (1999) and operate under the overall authority and within the status-neutral framework of the United Nations. As what EULEX calls its reconfiguration has not been put before the Security Council for approval, nor authorized by anyone representing the United Nations, it does not conform to resolution 1244 (1999). Moreover, unilaterally "remove[ing] the executive authority of the international organizations [operating] in Kosovo" (5/2012/603, para. 7) is a further demonstration of Pristina's complete disregardofthe exclusive jurisdiction ofthe Security Council on this matter.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  27. “Following the adoption of new planning documents, the new structure came into effect during this reporting period. No further details are provided. The broader context is the announcement by the so-called International Steering Group that the self- assigned mandate of the so-called International Civilian Office to forcibly implement the Ahtisaari proposal, which Serbia has not accepted, will come to an end in autumn. The Secretary-General's report tells us that reforms were enacted by the authorities in Pristina, and that they are expected to remove the executive authority of the international organizations in Kosovo. It is the view of Serbia that the Security Council is the only institution of indisputable and universal legitimacy authorized to make the sort of changes that the report refers to.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  28. “My Government is ready to engage in good faith at all levels in order to achieve a mutually acceptable and comprehensive solution to the final status of Kosovo. Today's report draws our attention to unilateral developments that gravely undermine the prerogative of this body and the authority of resolution 1244 (1999), which all Member States are bound to respect under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. I refer in particular to a major change in the functions of the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX). According to the report contained in annex I of the Secretary-General's report, EULEX has successfully started the process of realigning its structure with its revised priorities. The Mission has now been reconfigured.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  29. “In that regard, let me underline that the new Serbian authorities, including the new President and Government, intend to implement all the agreements reached so far, while also insisting that Pristina must do so as well. While the technical dialogue should continue, it is not a panacea. Serbia is ready for high-level talks. Negotiations on all outstanding issues cannot be avoided. Such a process will necessitate not only strong leadership and vision, as the Secretary-General indicates; political will to compromise will also be required by both sides. Belgrade cannot only keep giving, and Pristina taking. Such an approach could never produce a legitimate and sustainable agreement, for its basis would not be consent but imposition.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  30. “The Secretary-General's report is explicit in that regard: "many difficulties in Kosovo are not simply the result of the differences among the parties but also of the ongoing lack ofinternational consensus, which could assist the parties in reaching the necessary compromises and thus making faster progress towards lasting political settlements" (S/2012/603, para. 47). We fully share that assessment. For that to be achieved, a further effort by the international community is needed. Serbia is ready to participate constructively in such a process. Serbia remains fundamentally committed to a process that would ultimately lead to lasting peace between Serbs and Albanians. The EU-facilitated technical dialogue is part of that endeavour.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  31. “With respect to the interim arrangements reached at Brussels during the EU-facilitated technical talks, as referenced in paragraph 14 of the report (S/2012/603) of the Secretary-General before the Council today, I underline that there is no doubt that they are status- neutral and accord with resolution 1244 (1999). As a point of fact, the participation of the Pristina authorities as non-State actors is restricted to meetings in regional forums whose aim is "to promote cooperation or integration in the Balkan region", to quote from the terms agreed by the parties. Let me reiterate once more that that refers exclusively to participation, not membership.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  32. “Before proceeding with the rest of my remarks, I would like to express my country's sincere gratitude to the majority of the States Members of the United Nations, which respect Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. I appeal to them to continue to refrain from recognizing any solution to Kosovo that is not the product of a clear and final agreement between the parties. Kosovo's final status remains unresolved. No solution to that status has been approved by the Security Council, and no comprehensive settlement has been accepted by the stakeholders. Accordingly, it is the position of the Republic of Serbia that Kosovo cannot be allowed to accede to any international organization in which membership is reserved for sovereign States.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  33. “Through a process of negotiations and dialogue, we stand ready to arrive at a sustainable solution that takes into account the legitimate interests of Albanians, Serbs and all others who live in Kosovo. I want to be very clear that Serbia will never, under any circumstances, implicitly or explicitly, recognize the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian authorities, because it was not the result of mutual agreement. Our nation will remain united on that fundamental issue. We will continue to defend our constitutional order using all peaceful means at the disposal of a democratic State Member of the United Nations. I believe that none of the countries represented in the Chamber would act differently were its nation to find itself in a situation similar to ours.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  34. “I would like to remind this body that practically right after the Second World War had come to an end, those who had been the most fervent of enemies began to lay the foundations for a new, stable and prosperous Europe. That was the starting point for today's European Union (EU), in which Serbia too seeks its place. On the other hand, more than 20 years since the breakup of the former Yugoslavia and the ensuing and civil wars, the peoples of the region continue to live in the past and making mutual accusations, instead of finding a sustainable solution for the future. That is why resolving the final status of Kosovo and Metohija is one of my Government's most important priorities.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source

  35. “Mr. Daeie (Serbia) (spoke in Serbian; English text provided by the delegation): I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting of the Security Council pursuant to resolution 1244 (1999). I welcome the presence of Special Representative Farid Zarif and thank him for his statement. During the current reporting period, the citizens of Serbia voted in free and fair general elections. International observers concluded that the vote was in line with the most rigorous international standards, as in any stable democracy. The consolidation of regional peace, security and stability is a priority for the newly elected authorities of the Republic of Serbia.”

    2012-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6822 (2012) · source