YouSaid · the spoken record

Jeremie

lines on the record: 122
first: 2008-03-11
most recent: 2012-02-08
sittings or episodes: 6
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

“I appreciate the fact that one member of the Council, despite not exactly sharing Serbia's point of view, called for the two parties to put the past behind them and to work together to achieve a European future. We appreciate that stance. What was, of course, far more disappointing was today's appeal by the representative of Pristina for the European Union not to give Serbia candidate status at the next meeting. That does not go very well with the attitude of trying to work together to achieve a common European future, to which we in Belgrade remain committed. Last but not least, there are not 85 countries of the United Nations system have recognized Kosovo. There are actually 81. I just wanted to make that clear for the record.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“Serbia is ready - and we have demonstrated time and again that we are ready - to talk and to engage to discourage any provocative action, and we will adhere to that attitude. But let us not try to delude ourselves as to what the situation is really like over there. I would like to use this opportunity to invite the Security Council to visit Serbia, including Kosovo, to see for itself what the situation is like. Representatives would see barbed wire and ghetto-like situations in certain parts of the province and that, today, Serbs are the most endangered society in the whole of Europe, at least in some parts of the province. So I urge the Council to consider Serbia's invitation to come and visit.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“Transparency International's 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index classifies Kosovo as a highly corrupt society. It obtains the worst score of any territory on the old continent. Meanwhile, that non-governmental organization's local Pristina branch issued a 250-page Assessment of Institutional Integrity, concluding that "corruption is tremendously spread throughout Kosovo" and that "its level is only increasing". A slightly older report of the European Commission of October 2011 indicated that public administration, the judiciary and efforts to tackle corruption and organized crime remain ineffectual, and so on and so forth. So, I think that we need to look at things the way they are and to try and address them in the best possible faith.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“It concluded that "democratic processes in Kosovo do not fulfil the standards". That is consistent with the results of the 2012 Map of Freedom put out by Freedom House, which again failed to classify Kosovo as an electoral democracy. The January 2012 report of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on the judiciary in Kosovo, which was actually hailed by at least one participant in today's discussion, concludes that the political influence in trials and verdicts remained unacceptably strong, threats against judges and their families were ever present and witness protection was dangerously weak. The Human Rights Watch World Report 2012 states that the Kosovo human rights situation has improved little in 2012, citing the poor justice system and systematic discrimination against non-Albanian communities as two main problems.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“I would just like to direct the attention of the Council to one or two points that came up in the debate. I think that one thing that we really must address is that there may be different political points of view on how we see the issue of Kosovo from the legal perspective, the perspective of the rule of law and so on and so forth, but we need to acknowledge that the situation in Kosovo is very far from the rosy picture that some participants in today's debate have actually tried to present to the Council. I will quote new reports from institutions such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), for example. During the reporting period, the UNDP released its 2012 democratization index. It registered a lower score for the province than that of last year. So we are not really talking about improvements.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“The only way to produce a viable, sustainable and lasting solution to the problem of Kosovo is for the parties to negotiate with each other in good faith, on all outstanding issues. We are ready.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“President Tadie has repeatedly said that it must provide for ironclad, internationally guaranteed assurances that safeguard our interests inside the province by securing a realistic solution for North Kosovo, protecting our enclaves in South Kosovo, preserving Serbian identity and religious heritage throughout the province and settling private and commercial property claims. In coming to the end of my remarks, I wish to emphasize that the pursuit of outcomes outside the framework of negotiations is both futile and counterproductive. This include seeking new recognitions for the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, divisive attempts to force one's way into international organizations and any number of other plans to achieve narrowly conceived objectives.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“We ask the Security Council to support the centrality of its resolutions in the context of the dialogue. Close to four years ago today, the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia. Our measured reaction to the blatant violation of our Constitution ensured that the peace was kept. That was the first time in the history of the Balkans that a development of such gravity did not result in armed hostilities. However, a comprehensive settlement to the underlying dispute between the parties has not yet been found.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“As indicated in the report, progress has been made in the technical dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. To quote from it, "positive results were achieved during the intensive sessions held in November and early December, and there is now visible progress in the implementation of previously reached agreements" (ibid., para. 53). Serbia remains committed to this process. It is the only legitimate mechanism with which to overcome differences on practical considerations. The problem of Pristina's participation in regional meetings will be addressed in the next round of dialogue. We have never sought to prevent any voice in our part of the world from being heard, including that of Pristina. However, this must stay in unequivocal and explicit accord with resolution 1244 (1999).”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“Only an investigation conducted under the auspices of the Security Council can ensure that. Otherwise, any number of alleged participants in this war crime could remain beyond the reach of justice. When it comes to such matters in the Balkan context, a mandate to investigate has always been bestowed by the Security Council. It should happen again, not only for the sake of consistency, but to ensure the investigation becomes transparent and accountable to the whole world. We appreciate previous efforts to reach a consensus in the Council on how these allegations can be decisively addressed. We must not yield on this, on both moral and human rights grounds. Serbia will therefore seek another round of Security Council consultations on the issue.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“It contains allegations of harvesting and smuggling of human organs before, during and after the 1999 conflict. If proven true, it would constitute an entirely new category of war crime. This past October, Mr. Clint Williamson became Lead Prosecutor for the EULEX Special Investigative Task Force. During his first visit to Belgrade, we assured him and his team that we will assist them in any way that we can, for we believe they can make an important contribution to uncovering what occurred inside Kosovo itself. But this remains insufficient, for much of what is alleged took place beyond that territory. Since EULEX cannot operate at full capacity anywhere outside Kosovo, at the moment it has neither an adequate mandate nor sufficient temporal and territorial jurisdiction to carry out an investigation that would be comprehensive in scope.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“This could set a precedent with serious consequences for all United Nations peacekeeping operations. Annex I of today's report makes reference to what is commonly known as the Medicus case. It involves an organized criminal conspiracy to source human organs for illicit transplant in a Pristina clinic. While EULEX has been able to bring to trial a number of ethnic Albanians on various charges, two of the prime suspects - both foreigners - fled Kosovo and cannot be extradited. Some of those who are suspected of involvement in this affair, starting with its ringleader, are also mentioned in a deeply disturbing report released by the Council of Europe more than a year ago, entitled "Inhuman treatment of people and illicit trafficking in human organs in Kosovo".”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“The Secretary-General's conclusion is unequivocal: "This constitutes a departure from the privatization framework established by UNMIK". Approximately a quarter of a billion euros are being held in banks of various United Nations Member States. It is likely that the so-called Kosovo Privatization Agency will try to gain access to these funds. The financial institutions that hold those deposits must not release them until an agreement is reached among the stakeholders. This is a very serious liability issue, and we shall not refrain from using all juridical mechanisms at our disposal to protect our property rights. We believe this is a matter that requires the attention of the Security Council. The actions by the Kosovo Privatization Agency amount to usurpation of the authority and jurisdiction of the United Nations.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“A reduction in the Agency's powers and responsibilities was never endorsed by this Council, and its jurisdiction remained beyond the scope of the process of UNMIK's reconfiguration, which took place over the course of 2008. During that period, the authorities in Pristina established an institution called the Kosovo Privatization Agency, forcibly taking over many of the KTA's functions. As paragraph 26 of the report informs us, over the past few months, we have seen a significant weakening of the protection of privatization funds. The report notes: "international involvement in and oversight of the privatization and liquidation processes . is being acutely curtailed". Only a limited appellate process will have majority international supervision, and even that is understood to be temporary.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“The report also indicates that acts of desecration and vandalism against the Serbian Orthodox church, holy sites and cemeteries continue to take place. Such hate crimes severely hamper reconciliation efforts. They also keep the rate of IDP returns at very low levels; according to the report, they are down 51 per cent in comparison to the same period the year before. Serbia agrees with the Secretary-General's assessment that recent developments regarding privatization are cause for great concern. In 2002, UNMIK established the Kosovo Trust Agency (KTA) for the purpose of facilitating the implementation of economic reconstruction and development of Kosovo. As it privatized a number of Kosovo-based Serbian companies, funds were held to provide compensation to rightful owners.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“29) The report notes several categories of crimes committed against Serbs in South Kosovo, including murder, assault, home invasion, burglary, stoning of vehicles, arson, theft of farm equipment and attacks on pilgrims and returnees. The gravest crime took place in Dobrusa, an isolated Albanian-majority village in the South Kosovo municipality of Istok. A family of Kosovo Serb internally displaced persons (IDPs) had gone to visit their abandoned property for the first time in many years. They were greeted by an ethnic Albanian neighbour, who then went back into his home. Soon thereafter, the report informs us, he opened fire on the Kosovo Serb returnees with an automatic rifle, killing one and injuring the other two.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“We swiftly and unequivocally condemned the violence. We also called on all the stakeholders to resolve problems through peaceful negotiations and to refrain from any action detrimental to the establishment of a safe and secure environment. In early December the situation began to de-escalate, in part thanks to the efforts of UNMIK, which facilitated what the report terms "a new security coordination forum" that involves local Serb leaders, KFOR, EULEX and the OSCE. As in the previous reporting period, a number of incidents directed against ethnic Serbs in South Kosovo 12-22578 "continue to affect negatively the perception of security. This is particularly the case when the incidents are not followed up by effective action on the part of law enforcement bodies." (S/2012/72, para.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“It brought to trial a number of high-profile cases in the areas of organized crime and corruption, targeting a number of senior officials and controversial public figures in Kosovo. In the second half of the reporting period the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina resumed. Some breakthroughs were made, despite what the report called, in reference to this process, "challenging circumstances". North Kosovo remains volatile as a result of attempts to unilaterally alter the reality on the ground, in violation of resolution 1244 (1999) and against the will of the majority Serb population. The unfolding consequences of attempts to impose outcomes through the use of force continued to dominate the political climate during the first half of the reporting period. This resulted in the setting up of road blocks, demonstrations and clashes.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“an escalation of inter-ethnic tensions" (ibid.). After a series of incidents in late November, conditions in northern Kosovo began to slowly improve, and "tensions in the area subsided by the end of the reporting period" (ibid.). For the Serbian community in the south, the situation unfortunately did not get significantly better, as the trend of violent incidents continued apace and the number of returnees remained very low. The Christmas visit of President Tadie to the Visoki Decani monastery, during which he made an appeal for a comprehensive peace between Serbs and Albanians, was met with organized protests throughout Kosovo, including attacks on his convoy. In its executive capacity, EULEX made some positive contributions to the administration of justice in Kosovo.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“We concur with the Secretary-General's call on the Council to "support [...] its role, especially in facilitating engagement between all stakeholders and containing tensions and confrontations on the ground" (S/2012/72, para. 56). In this context, the Secretary-General adds, "it remains crucial that initiatives undertaken by the international actors operating within the framework of the United Nations and resolution 1244 (1999) are strategically aligned and closely coordinated" (ibid.). The Secretary-General's overall assessment of developments in the last quarter of 2011 is that "risks to peace and stability from the Kosovo issue continue to confront the people on the ground and the international community" (ibid., para. 52). His report goes on to emphasize that the situation remains volatile, and "carries a continued risk of...”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“Mr. President, thank you for convening this meeting of the Security Council pursuant to resolution 1244 (1999). At the outset, I would like to greet the new members of the Council and to appeal to them to continue to refrain from recognizing any solution to the Kosovo problem that is not the product of an agreement between the parties. I would also like to thank Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmond Mulet for his statement and acknowledge Special Representative Farid Zarif, who joins us today Via a video link. We look forward to his return to this Chamber for our next meeting. The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is a crucial pillar of peace and stability in the province.”
2012-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6713 (2012) · source
“We must not let them down. This matter also constitutes an integral part of the reconciliation process and is itself a prerequisite to establishing a lasting peace between Serbs and Albanians. Let us come together in the service of justice and see that it gets done through a comprehensive, independent investigation accountable to the whole world.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“The Secretary-General, in his letter of 3 May addressed to you, Mr. President (S/2011/281), expressed his support for an in-depth, impartial and independent investigation into the serious allegations of human organs trafficking. The United Nations, the letter concludes, will cooperate fully with such an investigation, should one be carried out. 7 This is a black and white situation. No nuance is possible here, for there must be no gray area when it comes to war crimes. On behalf of my nation, I appeal to the Security Council to support our plea to thoroughly investigate allegations of the harvesting and smuggling of organs of innocent Serbian civilians. We will not rest or retreat until the full truth about what happened is uncovered. This is our solemn obligation to all the victims of this terrible inhumanity and to their families.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“In each previous instance involving war crimes in the Balkans - whichever side the perpetrators belonged to and irrespective of their political roles - the Security Council has given a mandate to investigate. We ask for nothing more, and we have no moral right to settle for anything less. If all investigations into war crimes committed by Serbs received mandates from this body, then why should the investigation of war crimes committed against Serbs not take place under the auspices of the Security Council as well? With malice towards none and with firmness in the right, we ask: what possible explanation could there be for such a double standard? Like must be treated as like. No suspected war criminals in the Balkans should ever enjoy any sort of privileges, immunities or protections.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“Right now, EULEX bases its investigative and prosecutorial competencies on legislation passed by Pristina. EULEX will also have to upgrade its current support capacities by providing, inter alia, a more effective witness protection and relocation programme. That will guarantee credible testimony by all without fear of retribution. In addition, EULEX will have to act far more decisively than it has, for example, in the case of Fatmir Limaj, a former Minister of Transport and Telecommunications indicted in connection with allegations of war crimes. As Annex I to the Secretary- General's report acknowledges, more than two months have passed since the latest unsuccessful attempt by EULEX to clarify the issue of his supposed immunity from prosecution. Limaj continues to mock EULEX efforts to arrest him and continues to be a free man.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“This case involves another criminal conspiracy to source human organs for illicit trafficking and mirrors in many ways the KLA-led operation. While EULEX has been able to indict a number of ethnic Albanians on various charges, two of the ringleaders - both foreigners - have fled Kosovo and cannot be extradited. Therefore, even if all the 11-33372 defendants currently in the custody of EULEX are convicted, justice will be only partially served. While EULEX cannot conduct a comprehensive investigation on its own, it should play a crucial role in uncovering the truth about what happened inside Kosovo itself. To be an effective part of the ad hoc investigation mechanism, however, EULEX will need to assure its full statutory independence from the ethnic Albanian institutions.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“It is in this context that we should examine the precipitous assertion made by the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), in a press release of 28 January, that it has the capacity, the expertise, the location and the jurisdiction to conduct the investigation. That is factually incorrect, as our concept paper describes in detail. The truth is that EULEX - which classifies itself as a technical mission - can operate only within Kosovo, and nowhere else, whereas the alleged criminal trail leads not only to a number of European countries but also into parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Let us turn for a moment to the contemporary Medicus case, as mentioned in Annex I of the Secretary-General's report.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“If that is our common goal, there is only one way forward, and it requires action by the Security Council. To that end, the Republic of Serbia has made a formal proposal in the form of a concept paper that has been designated as an official Security Council document (see S/201l/256) at the request of the Secretary-General. N0 existing institution can either conduct a comprehensive investigation or ensure the cooperation of all concerned. Only a mechanism created by the Security Council can do that. Without it, any number of alleged participants in the human- organs trafficking criminal conspiracy could remain beyond reach. Justice would be ill served should anyone implicated in this heinous endeavour not answer for what he did because of mandate or jurisdictional limitations.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“Their internal organs, once extracted, were sold on the international black market. This represents a uniquely monstrous practice in the voluminous annals of brutal warfare in Europe and has shocked the conscience of the world. The tragic situation has been aggravated by the deeply disturbing fact that for years, to quote from that Council of 11-33372 Europe 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 that "certain crimes committed by members of the KLA, including some top KLA leaders, were effectively concealed and have remained unpunished". We plead for the full truth in the allegations of human-organs trafficking to be established and for justice to be done.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“The Threat Assessment concludes that some of their proceeds are reportedly destined for support organizations of the former Kosovo Liberation Army, or the KLA. Key public figures, mostly former KLA leaders, stand at the very centre of serious allegations contained in a deeply disturbing report - overwhelmingly approved by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly on 25 January - entitled "Inhuman treatment of people and illicit trafficking in human organs in Kosovo". The report claims that the KLA leadership is responsible for kidnapping hundreds of Serb civilians before, during and after the 1999 conflict, and that those abductees were sent from Kosovo to secret detention camps in the Republic of Albania. According to the report, the captives were forced into surgery, before being left to die.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“Following what the report terms "intensive talks and diplomatic mediation," Atifete Jahjaga - who until then was the Deputy General Director of the Kosovo police - was picked to be the new President. Last week, the European Police Office (Europol) released its biennial European Union (EU) Organized Crime Threat Assessment. That report identifies Kosovo as a major European organized crime hub and states that Albanian-speaking groups "remain the most prominent in trafficking heroin to and within the EU". One of Europol's key judgments is that these criminal groups are among the best resourced in Europe, drawing their membership from individuals with a secret service, police or paramilitary background.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“These include the Devie monastery, the Visoki Decani and the Patriarchate of Pec', both of which remain on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger. Given the rising tide of tension in Prizren, we also call on KFOR to redeploy a guard unit to the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin of Ljeviska. The Secretary-General's report paints a bleak picture of the overall situation in South Kosovo. Domestic political turmoil dominated the reporting period, it says. Sharp divisions came to the surface in the wake of the controversial results of last year's election. That led to a political crisis that culminated in a court ruling that brought to an end the 35-day-old presidency of Behgjet Pacolli.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“This crime, which local authorities charged with protecting the site did not even report, has further damaged the early fourteenth- century frescoes that were commissioned by Serbia's King Milutin. It is the third such act of vandalism since the March 2004 pogrom. The manifest inability to protect one of the most important heritage sites in Southeast Europe needs to be addressed. As Bishop Teodosije's letter to Special Representative Zannier concludes, after so many failures of the local authorities to protect our holy sites, a more adequate long-term international protection of the Serbian Orthodox heritage in Kosovo is more than necessary. Viewed in this light, the ongoing commitment of KFOR to maintain a static presence at some of our most important holy sites is absolutely critical.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“This unfortunately indicates the preponderance of a culture of impunity that tolerates extremism and hate crimes. A prime example of the current state of affairs is the Church of the Virgin Ljeviska, located in the centre of the ancient Serbian capital of Prizren. The church was placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger following the March 2004 pogrom. Nevertheless, it has remained a target for extremists. On 13 April, Bishop Teodosije of Raska-Prizren and of all of Kosovo and Metohija wrote a letter to Special Representative of the Secretary-General Zannier in connection with the most recent large-scale theft of the shrine's led roof.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“Addressing the General Assembly last September, President Boris Tadie clearly stated our position on this matter: "Any attempt to change these realities through the use of force would bring an immediate end to the process of dialogue." (A/65/PV.]6, p. 10) The Secretary-General's report underscores recent developments in Serbian cultural and religious heritage issues in Kosovo. We appreciate UNMIK's key role in facilitating UNESCO's activities in the province, as well as the work of the Council of Europe- led Reconstruction and Implementation Commission, which we believe should continue under the terms of its existing mandate. As the report indicates, Orthodox churches and graveyards continue to be desecrated, with arrests for attacks on places that represent the core of Serbian national identity remaining few and far between.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“The province's ethnic-Albanian authorities have repeatedly sought to extend the reach of their Pristina-based institutions to North Kosovo, against the will of the local population, including multiple attempts to deploy heavily armed special police units. According to the report, this has increased tensions. The report also states that the majority-Serb community of North Kosovo perceives these provocations as "not being dictated by rule of law considerations but, rather, as being intended to intimidate the local population and impose Pristina structures upon them without their consent" (ibid., para. 19). We remain deeply concerned by these and other unilateral measures against Kosovo Serbs.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“We therefore appeal to all those who insist that the United Nations must be left out of the room to reconsider their positions, especially in the light of the Secretary-General's continuing dedication, as stated in today's report, "to ensure an effective exchange of information and reporting on the dialogue to the Security Council" (S/20H/28], para. 59). The Council's leading role in determining and providing legitimacy to a comprehensive settlement remains indispensable, in accordance with resolution 1244 (1999) and the Council's primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security. Let me underline how critically important it is that no one tries to alter realities on the ground unilaterally. Numerous reports by the Secretary- General have warned us of that danger, including the one before us today.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“For instance, a working group was established and tasked with ascertaining the current state of the civil registry books. Agreement has already been reached on practical arrangements regarding UNMIK's chairmanship of the Central European Free Trade Agreement for 2011, within the framework of resolution 1244 (1999). It was also agreed that neither the facilitator nor any other stakeholder would attempt to unilaterally impose any outcome on the parties, as after the unsuccessful Ahtisaari process. Serbia will remain a constructive participant in the dialogue, and will continue to offer multiple proposals for each topic. We firmly believe that the United Nations needs to be present during the negotiating sessions. This is a transparent process, and we have nothing to hide from the Organization.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“The Secretary-General has observed that while the long- awaited launch of the dialogue is an encouraging development, it is still too early to assess its results. The report characterizes the dialogue as being conducted in a positive and constructive atmosphere. Indeed, a strong foundation has been laid for arriving at consensual solutions to all outstanding issues. We hope that the forward momentum will be maintained, strengthening the spirit of compromise that holds the key to success in this endeavour. Discussions have taken place on the following topics: civil registry, cadastral records, telecommunications, electricity, civil aviation and a package of issues defined as freedom of movement. Some progress has been achieved.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“We urge them to maintain their principled position, thus ensuring that unilateral attempts to impose outcomes to ethnic and territorial disputes are not legitimized, and thereby preventing Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence from becoming a dangerous and destabilizing precedent for the whole world. This will also contribute to maintaining a healthy international environment within which the negotiations between Serbia and Pristina can continue. Last September, the world supported by acclamation the fact that dialogue is the only road to peace in Kosovo. I want to emphasize that Serbia remains strongly committed to these talks, which finally got under way during this reporting period.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“We do not, and we will not, recognize it, explicitly or implicitly. This is mandated by the democratic will of the people of Serbia and enshrined in our Constitution. A substantial majority of States Members of the United Nations, 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 in the face of numerous pressures.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“On the other hand, the same document highlights Pristina's continuing unwillingness to attend a number of regional meetings, for which UNMIK's facilitation is required, including sessions of the Regional Cooperation Council. Serbia hopes that the constructive and inclusive approach offered by UNMIK will be embraced at long last. Adhering to established procedures and legally binding agreements is the only way to ensure that 11-33372 regional cooperation continues to improve under the current set of circumstances, which have been severely complicated by the 17 February 2008 unilateral declaration of independence of the ethnic Albanian authorities of our southern province. I would like to once again reaffirm my Government's position on the unilateral declaration of independence.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“We echo the importance that the Secretary-General places on the close coordination required of all international actors that operate within the framework and under the authority of the United Nations and resolution 1244 (1999), including the Kosovo Force (KFOR), the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Mission in Kosovo. We also reiterate our support for UNMIK's ongoing commitment to the external representation function for Kosovo. We continue to be deeply concerned, however, that the province's ethnic Albanian authorities remain fundamentally sceptical on this issue. Today's report suggests, on the one hand, that they appeared to be taking a pragmatic attitude".”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting of the Security Council on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), pursuant to resolution 1244 (1999). I welcome the presence of Special Representative Lamberto Zannier and gratefully acknowledge the unequivocal statement in the report of the Secretary- General (S/2011/281) that the Mission's priorities remain unchanged. We believe it is critical for all responsible stakeholders on the ground, together with the Security Council, to reaffirm support for UNMIK as an indispensable pillar of peace and security.”
2011-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6534 (2011) · source
“That is the goal of Serbia, and we will pursue it until it is achieved, for no stopping point short of agreement will ever be justified.”
2010-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6314 (2010) · source
“Let us therefore gather our strength and start preparing for the end of this historic journey. "All endeavour calls for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hours' toil", Henry David Thoreau said, adding that this is the virtue we must possess if we are to face the future as finishers. This is the task at hand: to create momentum and then sustain it until we achieve peace and security for all through peaceful dialogue. Waiting around for an indeterminate period in the vague hope that one side will eventually give in is a recipe for freezing Kosovo's limbo, and that is most certainly not what any responsible stakeholder wants. The only way forward is to bring about a just compromise that balances the desires and interests of our two peoples.”
2010-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6314 (2010) · source
“And we remain dedicated to embracing Robert Schuman's dream of an organized and living Europe indispensable to the maintenance of peaceful relations among States. These ideas stand at the foundation of our democracy and our genuine desire for reconciliation. They remind us of the importance of cooperation, compromise and consensus-building, while prompting us to move beyond all of our differences and disagreements to achieve common prosperity. Even though there have been many hardships along the way, and even though much sorrow has resulted, we believe the moment has come to put aside the fear. And we believe that together we can transform the plot of land that is Kosovo and Metohija - dear to both peoples - from one of contention to one of harmony.”
2010-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6314 (2010) · source
“Serbia will pursue a compromise with Pristina constructively and in good faith, as if they had never opted for UDI. But make no mistake: we are equally prepared to resist UDI unremittingly, as if no compromise were on the horizon. I trust that the limits of the achievable can be extended because of the commitment by all to the same cause - and that cause is European integration. Dialogue between Serbs and Albanians that produces a fair and balanced agreement will provide a critical boost to securing a peaceful European future for the whole of the Western Balkans. Membership in the EU is Serbia's central strategic priority. We strongly believe in the shared destiny of all European nations.”
2010-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6314 (2010) · source
“The issue of Kosovo cannot be solved by forcing conditions of submission on a party that would be compelled by circumstances to accept, for that would be done in humiliation, under duress and at an intolerable cost to democracy. It would inevitably leave a deep stain of resentment, a bitter memory upon which the terms of a one-sided outcome would rest - not even permanently, but only as upon quicksand. On the other hand, a solution that leaves no one defeated can unite the world and contribute to advancing regional priorities within the framework set forth by international law. Only such a solution, built with the free consent of all responsible stakeholders, can last. Only such a solution can erase the divide among United Nations Member States caused by the UDI. Only such a solution merits the support of the world - not UDI.”
2010-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6314 (2010) · source
“Yet I strongly believe that we have the ability to look beyond the divisions of the past and create a new environment that will make future solutions possible. We must summon the will and courage to do what this moment in history demands. This can only be achieved through peaceful dialogue which results in a mutually acceptable outcome that provides for lasting stability in the region and the wider world. A solution through dialogue * and not unilateralism - is our goal. We ask for the support of all United Nations Member States in solving this problem once and for all. This year can be the year of our shared success. I want to assure this Council that Serbia stands ready to flexibly engage in all sincerity, for our intent is neither to freeze the conflict nor to triumph or subjugate.”
2010-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6314 (2010) · source