YouSaid · the spoken record

Jeremic

lines on the record: 177
first: 2008-11-26
most recent: 2011-11-29
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

“This blatantly violated the long-standing agreement between Pristina and the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) that ROSU is not to be deployed in the North without the latter's approval. The unsanctioned act of sending ethnic Albanian paramilitaries from southern Kosovo was perceived by the majority population of northern Kosovo as an attempt to occupy the territory. Serbia's reaction to the ROSU incursion was swift but measured. Within hours, my Government sent an official delegation to northern Kosovo to help ease tensions. They began negotiations with the Kosovo Force (KFOR) about restoring stability in the province. By the morning of 26 July, the KFOR Commander, Major General Erhard Biihler of the German Army, had secured what we believed was an agreement with Pristina for ROSU to withdraw from northern Kosovo.”
2011-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6604 (2011) · source
“This was the direct consequence of the calculated decision of the ethnic Albanian secessionist leadership to order an unprovoked armed incursion into northern Kosovo as part of a sinister plan to forcibly impose an illegitimate and unquestionably unwanted regime on the residents of that part of the province. I urge the Security Council to send a clear message to the perpetrators that their unilateralism is totally unacceptable. The crisis began on Monday 25 July, when Pristina's special operations militia, the so-called Regional Operational Support Units (ROSU), was mobilized and equipped with full riot gear. Dozens of armoured personnel carriers transported hundreds of heavily armed men across the Ibar River.”
2011-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6604 (2011) · source
“On behalf of Serbia, I would like to reiterate our deep gratitude for their support and solidarity in the face of tremendous pressure. We urge them to maintain their principled stance, thus ensuring that unilateral moves to impose outcomes on ethnic and territorial disputes are not legitimized, and thereby preventing Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) from becoming a dangerous and destabilizing precedent for the world. A little over a month ago, the situation in our region suddenly became much less secure, stable and predictable.”
2011-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6604 (2011) · source
“Serbia looks forward to the swift appointment of a new Special Representative. We will continue to be actively engaged in the consultations to produce an acceptable nomination. This will help ensure that UNMIK remains an indispensable pillar of peace and stability in Kosovo. I would like to once again reaffirm my Government's position on Pristina's attempt at unilateral secession from Serbia. We do not and we shall not recognize it, explicitly or implicitly. This is mandated by the democratic will of our people and enshrined in our Constitution. A substantial majority of United Nations Member States - and of those seated in the Security Council - continues to respect Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, in accordance with the basic principles of the United Nations Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.”
2011-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6604 (2011) · source
“I thank you, Sir, for convening this meeting of the Security Council on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), pursuant to resolution 1244 (1999). At the outset, on behalf of the Republic of Serbia I would like to offer my deepest condolences to all those affected by Friday's terrorist attack on United Nations House in the Nigerian capital of Abuja. We share the revulsion and condemnation expressed by the Secretary-General and other Member States. Serbia will continue to play an active role in global efforts to counter the scourge of terrorism in all its forms. I thank the Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for his remarks, and gratefully acknowledge the unequivocal statement in the report (S/2011/514) that UNMIK's mission priorities remain unchanged.”
2011-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6604 (2011) · source
“If we are to talk about multi-ethnicity, inclusion and tolerance in Kosovo, I would just like to draw the Council's attention to the following numbers. There are more people sitting around this table than there are Serbs left in Pristina, out of the total pre-war population of 40,000. In Prizren, the ancient capital of Serbia, today there are 18 Serbs out of the pre-1999 population of 10,000. In anilane today, 100 remain out of 15,000. In Urosevac, there is one Kosovo Serb, and in Suva Reka, zero. More than 205,000 people have been expelled from Kosovo since 1999, according to the numbers of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Less than 15,000 have returned in a decade, less than 300 since the unilateral declaration of independence, and only 47 this year. So much for multi-ethnicity and inclusion in Kosovo.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“All major crimes committed by major officials and wartime commanders in Yugoslavia were investigated under the auspices of the Security Council and with the requirement that those who conducted the investigations report back to the Security Council on their work. I fail to understand the fervour of the opposition to the Security Council's mandating and receiving a report on the findings of such investigations, unless there is something to be hidden from this Council. According to Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the European Law Enforcement Agency and other international organizations, some of which I quoted in my statement earlier today, Kosovo is at the bottom of lists when it comes to human rights and security, contrary to Mr. Hoxhaj's claims, in rebuttal to my statement, that it is a young, dynamic, developing democracy.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“I would just like to make a brief comment on some of the statements made today. On the subject of the Security Council giving mandates to investigate war crimes in the Balkans, I would like to reiterate that all of the war crimes that have been investigated were investigated under the auspices of the Security Council, and transferred to national courts of States Members of the United Nations only after agreement between those Member States and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, which was established by the Security Council. As we all know, Kosovo is not and will not become a State Member of the United Nations.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“We believe that the imperative to conduct a proper investigation must neither be politicized, nor linked to diplomatic disagreements over Kosovo. It must be ultimately put in the service of truth and reconciliation. Its successful completion is a prerequisite for lasting peace and will represent the final repudiation of the policies that promoted extrajudicial killing, ethnic cleansing and the criminalization of a society.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“That statement serves to frame what Serbia asks of the Security Council - to ascertain the veracity of the allegations outlined in the report and, should the evidence warrant it, bring all the culprits to justice. We do not expect the discussion in this Chamber to be concluded this afternoon. In our view, today is the start of a shared effort to reach a consensus on how to decisively address these heinous contentions. Serbia intends to actively participate in this process. I want to make it clear that for us, the question of human organs trafficking is an ethical and human rights issue of the first order. We have to make sure it is not portrayed as an attempt to assign communal blame. There is no such thing as the guilt or innocence of an entire nation. Guilt, like innocence, is not collective, but personal.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“This has been the case in all previous instances involving war crimes in the Balkans, whichever side the perpetrators belonged to and irrespective of their political role. It is only through the action of the Security Council that we can prevent the onset of a perception of double standards in the administration of international justice. Maintaining a coherent approach on the issue of war crimes is an essential component in the common effort to consolidate peace and stability in the Balkans. The final words of the Council of Europe report state that its sole aim today is to act on behalf of those men and women who, regardless of their ethnic or religious backgrounds, simply aspire to the truth and to an end to scandalous impunity, with no greater wish than to be able to live in peace.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“I want to be clear on the following point: the contribution of EULEX to uncovering what took place inside Kosovo itself will be crucial. That alone will not be sufficient, however, because EULEX cannot operate outside Kosovo, while the relevant allegations appear to encompass not only that territory, but various United Nations Member States in Europe, Asia and Africa. A single authority must ultimately coordinate the investigation process, manage the jurisdictional issues and ensure the proper administration of justice. It is the position of the Republic of Serbia that the solution lies in establishing an ad hoc investigating mechanism created by and accountable to the Security Council.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“For justice to be done, a full and independent criminal investigation of the reported allegations is essential. Such an investigation must be internationally mandated as well as internationally accountable. It must also be able to provide an effective witness protection and relocation programme to guarantee credible testimony by all. This is an acute problem in Kosovo, for, as the report authors highlighted, "fear, often to the point of genuine terror" was observed "in some of our informants as soon as the subject of our inquiry was broached". N0 existing institution on its own has the mandate or the temporal and territorial jurisdiction to carry out a serious investigation that would be comprehensive in scope. This includes EULEX.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“The report goes on to state that the abductees were sent from Kosovo to secret detention camps in Northern Albania, where many of them were singled out for forced surgery before being murdered. Their internal organs were extracted and sold on the international black market. The report indicates that those events took place before, during and after the 1999 armed conflict in Kosovo. The report explicitly identifies Hashim Thaci, Kosovo's sitting prime minister, as the group's leader, and lists a number of prominent personalities, including Xhavit Haliti, Azem Syla and Fatmir Limaj, as having "played vital roles as co-conspirators in various categories of criminal activity". It also identifies one of Hashim Thaci's current close advisors, Shaip Muja, as a leading co-conspirator in the trafficking of human organs.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“It is particularly disturbing that, as far back as 1999, to quote from the report, "international actors chose to turn a blind eye to the war crimes of the KLA, placing a premium instead on achieving some degree of short- term stability". The report concludes by saying that "certain crimes committed by members of the KLA, including some top KLA leaders, were effectively concealed and have remained unpunished". That report states that the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army Drenica Group engaged in money- laundering and the smuggling of drugs, cigarettes and weapons, as well as human trafficking, and that it bears primary responsibility for the fate of many hundreds of kidnapped civilians.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“The report does not provide details, however. Nor does it focus on contemporary cases related to the smuggling of human organs. Only Annex I of the report mentions the multiple indictments handed down in the Medicus case, which is an alleged organized criminal conspiracy to source human organs for illicit transplant. Some of those who are suspected of involvement in this affair are also mentioned in a deeply disturbing report approved by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly on 25 January, entitled "Inhuman treatment of people and illicit trafficking in human organs in Kosovo". That report is based on a number of testimonial accounts and what are characterized as the compelling findings of a number of European intelligence and law enforcement agencies, together with analysis produced for NATO.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“The report also references the overall conclusion of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations: "a high number of irregularities during the Kosovo Assembly elections have severely affected the trust in the democratic process in Kosovo" (ibid., para. 9). That is all the more regrettable given the higher standard of achievement in previous election cycles - that is to say, when they were conducted with the full support of all stakeholders and in line with resolution 1244 (1999). The report expresses concern that the security situation in Kosovo is potentially volatile and that the "number of murders, cases of unauthorized possession of weapons, and shooting incidents remained significant. Organized crime continued to be of concern throughout Kosovo, mainly involving smuggling and narcotics trafficking" (ibid., para. 21).”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“As the report of the Secretary-General makes clear, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General "did not call the elections, which were not organized within the framework of resolution 1244 (1999), and will not certify the results" (ibid., para. 4). By all accounts, the election was deeply flawed, in spite of the presence of an average of 14 observers at each polling station, according to the report. Several re-votes and recounts were required. The European Parliament's election monitoring delegation to Kosovo stated, according to today's report, that "serious shortcomings underscored insufficient political will, 11-23603 including at the grass-roots level, to conduct a genuine election in line with international standards and good electoral practices" (ibid., para. 9).”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“We call on all relevant authorities to make it a priority to investigate these distressing incidents. The roots of democracy have not taken hold in Kosovo. Today's report presents the findings of the United Nations Development Programme's 2010 democratization index for Kosovo, which concludes that "democratic processes in Kosovo do not fulfil democratic standards" (ibid., para. 10). This is consistent with the results of the 2011 Map of Freedom put out by Freedom House, which does not classify Kosovo as an electoral democracy. It is in that context that the controversial results of the recently held elections by the ethnic-Albanian authorities in Pristina should be examined.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“We welcome this and other inter-faith contacts, and we appreciate UNMIK's continuing encouragement thereof. We also appreciate the commitment of the Kosovo Force (KFOR) to maintaining a static presence at some of our most important holy sites, including the Devic' Monastery, as well as the Visoki Deeani Monastery and the Patriarchate of Peje/Pee, which both remain on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger. By noting the desecration of a number of Serbian holy sites during the reporting period, the report once more draws our attention to what can happen as KFOR downsizes. Unfortunately, the report provides no details of these hate crimes, nor does it indicate the arrest of any perpetrators. The culture of impunity for attacks on places that represent the core of Serbian national identity continues unabated.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“Despite a number of successful projects, the Commission has still not completed its work in the province. We urge all potential donor countries to contribute to the next round of funding for the Commission, so that its valuable contribution to the reconstruction of destroyed Serbian churches and monasteries may be completed. The report refers both to the 26 December enthronement of His Grace Teodosije as Bishop of Raska-Prizren and all of Kosovo and Metohija, as well as to the fact that the Orthodox Christmas Day liturgy took place in the same church less than a fortnight later. On each of those occasions, held in the ancient Serbian capital city of Prizren, representatives of other religious communities in Kosovo were in attendance.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“This represents a failure of monumental proportions. I would like to remind the Council that the Republic of Serbia has repeatedly urged stakeholders to focus on the central humanitarian issue of internally displaced persons. I hope that a way can be found to empower Kosovo Serb IDPs to exercise their right of return immediately and unconditionally. The Secretary-General's report underscores recent developments in Serbian cultural and religious heritage issues in the province. We appreciate UNMIK's critical role in facilitating activities in Kosovo of both UNESCO and the Council of Europe- led Reconstruction and Implementation Commission. The Commission was established in the wake of the March 2004 pogrom, which resulted in the destruction of 35 Serbian Orthodox Church holy sites over a three- day period.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“The report before us draws attention to the small number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) returns by non-ethnic Albanians. For this reporting period, the number of Kosovo Serbs exercising their right of return is estimated to be around 120, out of the total 205,835 expelled since June 1999, according to the figures of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The consistently low number of returning IDPs is in line with the September 2010 Amnesty International report that states that Amnesty International, UNHCR and other international organizations "do not consider that conditions for the sustainable return for Serbs currently exist in Kosovo". The same document concludes that the situation at present, and for the long term, is both unstable and uncertain.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“As the report underlines, their current stance "will directly affect Kosovo's economic and social development". (5/2011/43, para. 47) It will also affect how seriously rules are taken by the region's democracies. The question of UNMIK's facilitation cannot be separated from the necessity for all to adhere to the terms of treaties and legally binding agreements. No one in the Western Balkans - or, for that matter, in the wider world - should be permitted simply to ignore established procedures or attempt to unilaterally impose new ones. For change to be legitimate, agreement is required. Until one is established, the consistent adherence to existing working arrangements is the only way to ensure that regional cooperation continues to improve and stability is strengthened.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“UNMIK's principled commitment to the external representation function for Kosovo - its obligation under resolution 1244 (1999) - is highly appreciated. We are deeply concerned, however, at the "lack of enthusiasm" by the province's ethnic-Albanian authorities on this issue. Today's report reconfirms that Pristina refuses to attend a number of regional and international meetings for which UNMIK's facilitation is required. This includes sessions of the Regional Cooperation Council, as well as the Central European Free Trade Agreement, which UNMIK, as the signatory to this free trade agreement on behalf of Pristina, is slated to chair throughout 2011. We hope that Pristina will come to embrace the constructive approach offered by UNMIK.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“The Council's leading role in determining, and providing legitimacy to, a comprehensive settlement is indispensable, in accordance with resolution 1244 (1999) and the Council's primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security, as assigned to it by the Charter of the United Nations. The United Nations status neutrality and that of all organizations that operate under its overall authority - such as the Kosovo Force (KFOR), the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo - remain the only acceptable framework within which all of us can work together to improve the lives of ordinary people in Kosovo, irrespective of their ethnicity.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“They also seem to be intent on extending the reach of the Pristina-based institutions to North Kosovo, against the will of the local population. Serbia remains deeply concerned by these and other provocative actions, which cannot contribute to peace and stability in North Kosovo and which could dramatically, and perhaps fatally, undermine the dialogue. That is one of the many reasons that the United Nations reporting function remains indispensable. Serbia welcomes the Secretary-General's commitment, as stated in today's report, to keep the Security Council informed of all developments in the dialogue.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“That could pave the way for what the dialogue should ultimately produce, namely, a transformative peace between Serbs and Albanians throughout our region. My country is dedicated to solving all differences at the negotiating table. We welcome the opportunity presented by the dialogue. We intend to make the most of it, just as we reasonably expect other parties to do the same. It is therefore critically important that no one try to alter realities on the ground while discussions get under way. Numerous reports by the Secretary-General have warned us of that danger, including the one before us today. The province's ethnic-Albanian authorities continue to encourage illegal construction of new, or the expansion of existing, housing settlements ~ a direct challenge to the authority of the UNMIK Administration Mitrovica.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“We share the Secretary-General's assessment contained in the report before the Council today (S/2011/43) that the dialogue is a valuable opportunity to resolve long-standing issues, which would contribute significantly to the consolidation of peace, stability and reconciliation in Kosovo and throughout the region. Last autumn, the Republic of Serbia announced that it was ready to start the dialogue. We are still waiting for Pristina. We hope that they too will be ready soon. There will be many issues to discuss, and some of them will be complicated. As we move forward, we should strive to build trust and understanding. Results will surely come, if the parties demonstrate good faith and work hard to achieve constructive arrangements that would benefit all the residents of the territory.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“We urge them to maintain their principled position with regard to the separatists, thus ensuring that unilateral attempts to impose outcomes to ethnic and territorial 1 1-23 603 disputes are not legitimized, and thereby preventing Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence from becoming a dangerous and destabilizing precedent for the world community. It will also help to maintain a healthy international environment within which the long-awaited dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, which the world supported by acclamation last September, can take place. I want to emphasize that Serbia remains strongly committed to those talks, despite delays in getting them off the ground.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“We do not, and we shall not, recognize Pristina's self-declared independence, explicitly or implicitly. This is mandated by the democratic will of the people of Serbia and enshrined in our Constitution. A substantial majority of United Nations Member States, and of those seated on the Security Council, continue to respect Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, in accordance with the basic principles of the United Nations Charter and the Helsinki Final Act. On behalf of my nation, I would like to reiterate our deep gratitude for their support and solidarity.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“I would like to thank you very much, Madame President, for convening this meeting of the Security Council on Kosovo pursuant to resolution 1244 (1999). I welcome the presence of Special Representative Lamberto Zannier. The United Nations remains a crucial actor in the province. We believe it is critical for all responsible stakeholders on the ground, together with the Security Council, to reaffirm support for the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) as an indispensable pillar of peace and stability. At the outset of my remarks, I would like to reaffirm my Government's position on the unilateral declaration of independence by the ethnic-Albanian authorities of our southern province of Kosovo and Metohija. For us, it is null and void.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“Without denying either the good or the ills of the past, we shall confidently continue to pursue our vision of the future. Out of respect for our ancestors - but even more because of the generations that will follow - we shall leave no stone unturned in our quest to achieve a legitimate compromise. But this we shall seek not out of fear or under duress. Rather, we shall do so on the basis of our belief that, if we act together in good faith, we can finally transform that plot of land, so rich in history and dear to both peoples, from one of contention to one of harmony.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“Serbia welcomes the Secretary-General's commitment to report all developments in the dialogue to the Security Council. Its centrality and leading role in determining and providing legitimacy to a comprehensive settlement remains paramount in accordance with its resolution 1244 (1999) and the primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security assigned to it by the United Nations Charter. No one in this Chamber should doubt our readiness to be a true partner in forging a transforrnative peace. But we cannot do so alone, for in the twenty- first century no side can ever triumph by demanding unilateral concessions or seeking to maximize narrowly conceived objectives. Win-win solutions are impossible to find with zero-sum attitudes. Serbia, for its part, will spare no effort; we will neither tire nor lose our nerve.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“A vast majority of States Members of the United Nations have refrained from recognizing the unilateral declaration of independence. On behalf of the Republic of Serbia, allow me once again to sincerely thank those countries for their support and solidarity. We appeal to them to stay the course throughout the dialogue process. We believe it is critically important that no impediments be placed on the road the stakeholders have committed to take. It would be equally harmful if someone tried to alter realities on the ground while discussions are under way. Any attempt to change those realities unilaterally or through the use of force would dramatically, and perhaps fatally, undermine the dialogue. That is one of the many reasons why the reporting function of the United Nations remains indispensable.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“5 Serbia has always maintained that Pristina's attempt to secede unilaterally is a violation of the basic principles of the United Nations Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, as well as of resolution 1244 (1999). Our principled position, enshrined in our Constitution, remains unchanged: we shall not recognize Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence, explicitly or implicitly. As we would for any other place in the world, we believe there can never be a sustainable solution to an issue of such magnitude without the consent of all stakeholders. We hold the firm view that the continued pursuit of recognitions of the unilateral declaration of independence is futile and counterproductive. Everyone who wanted to make a point has already made it, and we still do not have a settlement.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“A fair and balanced process could become the catalyst for harnessing the forces of moderation - an instrument for those seeking to rebuild bridges and begin reconciliation in earnest. It could also provide a critical boost to securing a peaceful European future for the entire Western Balkans. Serbia wants this dialogue to begin as soon as possible, and we expect it to focus on the least controversial issues first. Early successes should be able to be leveraged as a way to build momentum for further achievements when we proceed to other, more delicate topics. The journey to creative solutions will require political imagination, respect for our democracy and great skill. We hope we can enter a phase in which all parties will leave behind anachronistic analyses and diplomatic ambushes and instead concentrate on the task at hand.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“Since the Special Representative of the Secretary-General did not call them, the OSCE will not monitor them and the United Nations will not certify them. Under such circumstances, it is plainly impossible for the Government of Serbia to invite any of our citizens to participate in them. The world has supported by acclamation the fact that dialogue is the only road to peace in Kosovo - the only way both dignity and stability can be delivered to Serbs and Albanians alike. The European Union's facilitation role and its capacity to act as an honest broker could play a decisive role in moving us towards a new, more promising moment. We hope that our differences may now be readdressed in less adversarial circumstances. For us, the dialogue means negotiating and being open to compromise. It is about overcoming prejudices and taming passions.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“Aside from the significant material damage that resulted, the destruction of that network immediately affected approximately 100,000 south Kosovo Serbs, disrupting their ability to communicate beyond their enclaves. That is a serious breach of contemporary humanitarian norms. 10-63455 As the report underscores, that carefully orchestrated operation disrupted the normal functioning of several licensed Kosovo Serb media outlets. It also affected access to emergency services, with hospital officials in Gracanica ascribing several fatalities to the inability of patients to call for help. The report informs us that the ethnic Albanian authorities in Pristina called their elections, which, according to news reports, may take place next month. Unfortunately, those elections are not being held in accordance with resolution 1244 (1999).”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“Another event, according to the report, was the deployment of Kosovo Police Regional Operations Special Units to north Kosovo without agreement with EULEX. The unsanctioned act of sending those paramilitaries, the vast majority of whom are ethnic Albanians from south Kosovo, is perceived by the majority that lives in north Kosovo as a provocation and an incitement to violence. During this reporting period, the authorities in Pristina unfortunately resorted to unilateral action against Serbian targets in other parts of the province as well. For example, in late September, armed teams of ethnic Albanians brought down Serbia Telecom's mobile and fixed telephony network in south Kosovo, including equipment located in isolated enclaves and monastic communities.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“That kind of incident can only serve to enflame the passions of extremists on both sides. It is deeply regrettable that no international or local officials condemned that act and that no investigation was carried out to uncover the perpetrators of that hate crime. The report draws attention to continuing efforts by the authorities in Pristina to unilaterally alter the complex reality on the ground, especially in north Kosovo. It underlines the fact that the situation "has remained unstable, and tensions have grown" (ibid., para. 59). One event that triggered tensions, according to the report, was the insistence by the ethnic Albanians to try to alter the status quo in north Kosovo by authorizing a construction project without approval by the UNMIK Administration in Mitrovica.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“In his enthronement address to the faithful, His Holiness emphasized the importance of reconciliation when he said: "Appealing in this solemn moment from this sacred place with love and respect not only for 10-63455 the Serbian Orthodox in Kosovo, but also for the honourable Albanian people and all other local inhabitants here, we invite them to peace and unity, always predicated upon divine and human justice". For some, the words of His Holiness were overshadowed by the stoning of buses full of pilgrims on their way back from the holy site and by what today's report mentions in passing as "posters placed prior to the ceremony along the road to the Patriarchate depicting the Patriarch as a war criminal" (ibid., para. 49). The posters also portrayed the Patriarch as a demonic figure.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“The report highlights the fact that there has been no significant change in the consistently low numbers of returns of internally displaced persons to the province - only 233 Kosovo Serbs in three months, to be exact, out of a total of 205,835 expelled since June 1999, according to figures from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In addition, the report refers to the 3 October enthronement of our Patriarch Irinej in the spiritual home and administrative centre of the Serbian Orthodox Church for the past eight centuries, the city of Pee.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“However, we are deeply concerned by the fact that the province's ethnic Albanian authorities have actively resisted such a role by the United Nations of late, as the report under discussion points out. That situation is highly regrettable, for "should this policy continue over time, it might result in increasing isolation of Kosovo", to quote the report (S/2010/562, para. 54). We hope Pristina will come to embrace the more constructive approach offered by UNMIK and supported by this Council.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“The status neutrality of the United Nations - and that of all organizations that operate under its overall authority, such as the Kosovo Force (KFOR), European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo (OMIK) - remains the only acceptable framework within which all of us can work together to improve the lives of ordinary people in Kosovo, irrespective of their ethnicity. Serbia highly appreciates the unwavering commitment of the United Nations to maintaining the external representation function of UNMIK, which is its obligation under resolution 1244 (1999).”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“This afternoon, we meet again for a regular meeting of the Security Council on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMMIK) pursuant to resolution 1244 (1999). I welcome the presence of Special Representative Lamberto Zannier. The United Nations remains an indispensable actor in the province. We believe that it is critical for all responsible stakeholders on the ground, together with the Security Council, to reaffirm support for UNMIK as a strong pillar of peace and stability. It is equally critical for stakeholders to fully cooperate with UNMIK at all times, including in the work it does at the municipal level through the UNMIK Administration in Mitrovica.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“The project to bind in peace and consent the States of the old continent has brought to an end centuries of war and destruction. On the way towards achieving this, many creative solutions have been found for bridging seemingly unbridgeable divides. What all those had in common was the fact that they were built on the basis of the consensus principle. The challenge before us cannot be resolved differently. We should therefore brace ourselves to undertake a bold course of action, and so bear ourselves that, by working together in good faith, we make sure that 8 Kosovo is removed from the list of world's problems once and for all. If we succeed, we will have made a historic contribution to a stable Balkans, a united continent and a safer world.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“Serbia's compelling track record of good will has helped to advance common strategic priorities and to building up the regional level of trust to an all-time high. We remain deeply committed to European Union membership. This will continue to be our central strategic priority. Serbia believes that its achievement is the surest way to complete the democratic transformation of the Balkans. Undoubtedly, this will require leadership and imagination, as well as the courage to reach beyond the present divisions. There are those who still mistakenly insist that we be defined by our differences. Serbia is adamant in maintaining that we be defined by the shared destiny of all European nations and by the values we should all embrace. Amongst the most basic of these is the renunciation of unilateralism as a means of resolving conflicts in Europe.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“There is no perfect solution, but there must be an equitable one to which we can all agree - one that will enable us to move forward and ensure the consolidation of the gains the region has made in the past decade. We shall keep working incessantly until a compromise on Kosovo is found. Time and again, this Government of Serbia has demonstrated its capacity to engage with our partners in overcoming lingering prejudices and points of disagreement. Even on the most challenging issues, we have found ways to work together. Our sustained efforts have made the Western Balkans more stable and secure, with key bilateral relationships in our part of the world showing visible signs of improvement. These achievements have taken place in the midst of a renewed impetus to complete the process of full reconciliation.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“Moreover, it is also about the fact that zero-sum outcomes - where one side gets everything, while the other gets nothing - are intrinsically unstable. Attempts to impose unilateral solutions have never contributed to the stability of the Balkans or that of the rest of Europe. The historical record is unambiguous. A durable settlement has never been the product of compulsion; it has always necessitated consent. It is therefore inconceivable that a UDI could become the basis for the normalization of relations between Serbs and Albanians. Lasting prosperity will be achieved only after everyone finally comes to appreciate that the defeat of one is in truth a loss for all.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source