YouSaid · the spoken record

President Tadie

lines on the record: 96
first: 2008-01-16
most recent: 2010-07-06
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

“Serbia is committed to continuing such efforts in order to create a stable and prosperous region. Serbia respects all Serbian citizens and all people living in the region. We are pursuing such efforts, and I hope that, at the end of the day, we will all be together in the European Union. But before that, we have to find a real compromise solution in which both sides get something. It is not a compromise solution when one side gets everything and the other side - Serbia - loses everything.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“By definition, a community service centre that has been established against the will of the community itself is a clear act of aggression - an illegitimate act. So let me ask a simple question. What would happen if the Republic of Serbia established its own community service centre in Pristina to issue Serbian passports to the massive number of Kosovar Albanians who are asking for Serbian passports even today? Would the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), the Kosovo Force (KFOR) and Kosovo police special units defend such an office? Would KFOR and EULEX assist us? I am sure that they would not. We have to have consistent policies. We have to take into consideration both points of view, and we have to be very careful in order to find a real compromise solution that would bring peace and stability to the region.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“We could go back even further in history, to 1973, 1968 and 1941, but that would get us nowhere - like the unilateral declaration of independence, which was the consequence of the 2004 pogrom. So let me make a fundamental distinction between the sovereign State I represent and the authorities in Pristina. We prosecute our criminals. Those who committed atrocities in 1999 are brought to justice. Mass graves are uncovered and those who are responsible for them will go to jail. Some of them are already in jail. But no one went to jail for the hate crimes and ethnic cleansing of 2004. No one was held responsible by the ethnic Albanian authorities. The violence was seen as acceptable. It is a legacy of the Kosovo Liberation Army's value of terror that surfaced yet again on Friday. That needs to be condemned.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“To my great regret, the representative of the United States has just supported the establishment of the Pristina office in North Mitrovica, saying "it was the right thing to do". That is disappointing. Everyone knows that the office is unwanted by Kosovo Serbs; everyone knows that this was a provocation; and everyone knows that it will not contribute to stability on the ground. Yet, it was supported. This means that "proving" Kosovo's so called sovereignty is more important than restoring stability. Now I know the position, and I am greatly worried because of it, but I will continue to pursue a policy of peace and to pledge our commitment to finding a compromise solution to Kosovo's future status. Some have mentioned history and 1989. I am very sorry about what happened in 1989.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“That is a new creation. I am sure that, if so called Kosovars are living under a new identity in other parts of Kosovo, they are not living in communities in which Serbs are the majority. That is especially the case in the northern part of Kosovo. Ethnic Serbs citizens of Serbia are living in Kosovo. They do not recognize the illegal unilateral attempt at cessation by ethnic Albanian citizens of Kosovo. Let us be very clear - the Security Council continues to support the position against the unilateral declaration of independence. Resolution 1244 (1999) is still our legal framework. Kosovo is therefore not a State. It has no sovereignty. This is not only Serbia's position or that of the majority of the States Members of the United Nations; it is the position of the Security Council. Mr. Hyseni should accept that reality once and for all.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“President Tadie: I would like to express my gratitude for the statements I have heard here today in the Security Council, including those by Mr. Zannier, Mr. De Kermabon and the Ambassadors of Member States represented here. In reference to the statement by Mr. Hyseni, I would say that a few ethnic groups have lived together for centuries in Kosovo and continue to do so today, including Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Bosniaks, Romas and Egyptians. Many peoples live in Kosovo today, and in the Balkans in general. Those proud nations have lived next to each other for centuries. There have been oscillations in our relations throughout history, but I respect all peoples and nations living in the Balkans today, including in my country of Serbia and in our southern province. But I do not know about the so called Kosovar identity.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“What we seek is a just status that all parties can embrace. That is the only way to secure original gains, reinforce shared priorities and complete the democratic transformation of the Balkans. What everyone needs to do is to reject the extremist voices that find comfort in the old ways and that believe that it is impossible for Serbs and Albanians to normalize their relations by reaching a historic compromise. That has been our vision all along, because we believe that comprehensive peace is essential for securing a shared prosperous future in the European Union.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“But make no mistake; my country is equally prepared to resist UDI incessantly for as long as no compromise appears on the horizon. This past Friday's tragedy reminds us of the fear and violence that are at the heart of unilateralism. But it can also teach us that the failure of one thing - UDI- can be repaired by the success of another, namely, the establishment of harmonious peace between two vibrant and proud nations, Serbs and Albanians. 10-43669 I would like to conclude by saying that the time for anyone to try half-measures devoid of real imagination or foresight has come to an end. We have entered a period of consequence and momentous choices where only results matter. We are determined to reach a sustainable agreement on the final status of Kosovo. We have no right to fail in this task. We have no intention of humiliating anyone.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“There is nothing to be lost by working together to reach a truly sustainable outcome. Moreover, it is absolutely clear that no democratic leadership in Serbia will ever under any circumstances, implicitly or explicitly, recognize UDI. We have not consented to it and we never will. That principled position is set in stone and will not change, come what may. There are those who expect us to yield eventually. That will not happen. We will continue to use all the diplomatic resources at the disposal of a sovereign State to oppose the unilateral attempt to partition our country. No peaceful, democratic and proud nation whose territorial integrity is under threat would act differently. I want to be very clear. We will pursue a compromise with Pristina constructively and in good faith, as if it had never attempted UDI.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“One can reasonably predict that fundamental concerns about preserving basic international norms will compel the majority to encourage the parties to arrive at consensual solutions on all outstanding issues peacefully and through dialogue. But let us be frank with each another - there is no open question in Kosovo that is not related to status, either directly or indirectly. It is impossible to think that negotiations on anything can take place outside that context. We must not ignore this obvious reality and waste an unprecedented chance to find a mutually acceptable comprehensive settlement between Serbs and Albanians. I am aware of the fact that some powerful voices are against a consensual solution, but I remain profoundly puzzled as to why they would reject it out of hand.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“We know that maintaining that position is not easy for everyone, owing to the pressures that unfortunately continue to be exerted by those with the capacity to do so credibly. But we also know that, tomorrow, some other country might find itself in a similar situation, and that the world would then rapidly discover that the rushing river let loose by Kosovo's UDI had become an uncontrolled cascade of secession across the world. l0-43669 That is why we strongly urge all non-recognizing Member States to stay the course. The International Court of Justice will be reporting back to the General Assembly in the near future. Serbia will surely join the great many interested countries in the ensuing debate.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“Accordingly, the Court's conclusions will have extensive consequences for the entire United Nations system. We have strong expectations that the Court will not legitimize Pristina's UDI. Any other outcome would mean that no border anywhere in the world would remain safe from separatist ambitions. That would inevitably produce instability in all corners of the world as the number of ethnic conflicts multiplies. A substantial majority of Member States and of countries seated in the Security Council have continued to abide by their binding obligations under our 1945 Charter and resolution 1244 (1999) to respect Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. On behalf of my nation, I would like to reiterate our deep gratitude for their support.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“Our number one priority should be to set the stage for the peace process between Serbs and Albanians to begin in earnest, and for it to result in an agreement that everyone can endorse. The significance of the landmark Kosovo case before the International Court of Justice must be restated in this Chamber. It is, after all, the first time that the Court has been asked to consider the legality of a unilateral attempt to partition a United Nations Member State in peacetime, in defiance of its Constitution and against the will of the Security Council. It is also the first time all five permanent members of the Council have participated in a proceeding before the Court. A record number of countries have presented their views, making it the largest case in history.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“The Secretary-General's six-point plan therefore contains the only legitimate framework for working out a number of delicate practical issues, from the rule of law to guaranteeing lasting international protection for Serbian holy sites. It also comprises, among others, topics such as health care, education, telecommunications, electricity, the privatization of socially owned enterprises, property restitution and the return of more than 200,000 Kosovo Serb and Roma internally displaced persons. No sensible impediment stands in the way of anyone's sincerely engaging right away, through the six-point plan, to find pragmatic arrangements that would benefit all the residents of the territory. Rapid breakthroughs in the areas covered by the six-point plan would help to build much-needed confidence between the parties.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“That is why, in reality, the stubborn continuation of attempts to implement UDI can only produce what everyone responsible must seek to avoid, namely, a long-term freeze in Kosovo's limbo. It is our shared responsibility to find a way to overcome the present impasse. I want to be very clear on that. Unilateralism has got us nowhere. It is time to chart a course towards a secure future for all the residents of our southern province, for all the citizens of our country and for all the nations of our region. The only way to establish stability in Kosovo is to implement in full the Secretary-General's six-point plan - which, let me remind everyone, was welcomed by the entire Council in November 2008 - irrespective of Member States' differing positions on Pristina's UDI.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“"Only on a scrutiny of truth can a future of peace be built" (A/PV883, para. 7), Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold said in 1960. The undeniable truth in this case is that the architects of the flagrant act of terror in North Mitrovica deserve the denunciation of this Council and the States Members of the United Nations, for what happened on Friday illustrates the ongoing, inherently dangerous consequences of UDI. The truth about UDI, however uncomfortable it may be for some to hear, is that it cannot lead to peace and stability, for peace is the product of agreement, just as stability is the result of consensus. UDI rejected them both at the moment of its stillbirth. It has clearly divided the world and brought into question the fundamental tenets of the contemporary international system.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“A profoundly terrible consequence arising from these atrocities committed against Kosovo Serbs was that they triggered the abandonment of the international community's standards-before-status approach. Pristina's violent behaviour was rewarded by some, and UDI was the result. 3 What about today? Will Violence be rewarded again? Will those who show a willingness to commit it gain further advantage? Is leverage in any discussion to come proportional to a readiness to engage in it? These are profound questions that we will have to urgently address, for how they are answered will contribute to determining whether the emerging norms of global governance will favour Violence. This is not just about Kosovo; it is a litmus test about how problems in the world will be tackled in the decades to come.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“Differences on UDI notwithstanding, whoever does not condemn unilateralism of any sort in Kosovo, as Serbia has, will be responsible for any future violence, deaths, and acts of terror that may take place in the province. We must never forget that the circumstances that have led us to this point are rooted in the March 2004 pogrom planned and orchestrated by the authorities in Pristina. In less than 72 hours, 35 Serbian holy sites, many of them hundreds of years old, were set ablaze by tens of thousands of ethnic Albanian militants throughout Kosovo. Nineteen people were killed, 500 were injured, and more than 5,000 Kosovo Serbs were ethnically cleansed from their homes.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“Those who announced and actively supported it - they and they alone - would have to bear the sole responsibility for the destabilizing atmosphere such conflict-inciting designs would obviously produce. This is exactly what was attempted on Friday. I derive no satisfaction from this fact. It is incredibly disappointing that some in Pristina still believe in unilateralism and that they believe it can ever provide an answer to any of the open issues we have an obligation to resolve peacefully. The bottom line is that the Security Council must not tolerate unilateralism. Opposing one-sidedness is its fundamental mission. So let me make myself clearly understood.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“Otherwise, Serbia will have no choice but to reassess its relations with the international presence in the province. Attempts by Pristina to unilaterally impose any post-UDI institution on the local Serbian community, absent the consent of all stakeholders, will not be tolerated by Serbia - no office, no courthouse, no telecommunications infrastructure, and no other act of aggression that is in violation of resolution 1244 (1999). On 22 January, when I last addressed this Council (see S/PV.6264), I harshly condemned the illegitimate strategy that has led us back to the Security Council today, underlining that it could only be forced upon the Serbian community in North Kosovo by a draconian, undemocratic set of measures.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“We call on UNMIK to make use of its reserved powers under resolution 1244 (1999) and to restore the province's legitimate legal framework discarded by the secessionists. We call on the EU to compel EULEX to exercise its executive authority and swiftly bring to justice the perpetrators of all crimes against Kosovo Serbs, the most vulnerable local community in Europe today. And we call on NATO to maintain its present troop levels and exclusive static presence at all Serbian holy sites it currently protects. Finally, we call on all responsible stakeholders to avoid ever again putting themselves in a position of supporting any additional destabilizing acts by Pristina. The ethnic Albanian authorities have to be told what the consequences will be should they try unilateralism 10-43669 again.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“This was done not only against the will of the Kosovo Serbs, but despite the opposition of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the European Union (EU) Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and other responsible stakeholders, including the Security Council, which never approved the blueprint of UDI - the so-called Ahtisaari proposal. It means that the secessionists continue to blatantly disregard international law, rejecting the universal principles of the United Nations Charter. This is absolutely unacceptable. We urge the international community to ensure that nothing like what happened on Friday is ever repeated, and to make sure that the illegal office in North Mitrovica remains closed.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“The facts that led to this flagrant act of terror - in which a dozen Serbs were seriously injured and one local Bosniak Muslim, a paediatrician, was killed - are clear and indisputable. They are the direct result of the conscious choice made by provocateurs to expand the scope of the post-UDI, Pristina-based parallel institutions to North Kosovo. I repeat - this was done deliberately in order to increase inter-ethnic tensions and sabotage the quest for comprehensive peace. It was yet another destructive consequence of a sinister plan - sponsored in part by the so-called International Civilian Office headed by Pieter Feith - to unilaterally impose an illegal and unwanted regime in that part of our province.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“President Tadie: I thank you, Madam, for calling this emergency meeting of the Security Council. Four days ago on Friday morning, close to 3,000 Kosovo Serbs assembled to protest the latest egregious violation of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) by the ethnic Albanian secessionists based in Pristina- the forcible attempt by these authorities to establish a so-called Kosovo Government Office in the Serbian town of North Mitrovica. The Serbs came in 10-43669 peace, yet they were met with unprovoked violence. Two high-intensity bombs were thrown into the crowd. They came from within courtyards of homes owned by ethnic Albanian supporters of the 17 February 2008 unilateral declaration of independence (UDI).”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“There is no justification for threatening the use of force against Bosnia or any other Western Balkan country. Serbia categorically rejects such provocations, and we expect every other responsible stakeholder to do the same. We have had enough ofthis. At the same time, to be crystal-clear, Serbia remains fundamentally committed to working with Croatia and all other United Nations Member States on resolving all outstanding bilateral and regional issues. Serbia is going to support integration into the European Union of all Western Balkan countries, honestly and fully. I am grateful for this opportunity to explain the official position of the Serbian State.”
2010-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6264 (2010) · source
“We will also keep encouraging all three constituent peoples to agree on necessary reforms with the aim of accelerating Bosnia's accession to the European Union, which is a strategic priority for all. We have made it clear that we will support whatever arrangement is acceptable to the parties, stressing the need for pragmatism and compromise. Completing the reconciliation process is an imperative, not only in Bosnia but everywhere in the region. The forthcoming resolution on Srebrenica, to be introduced in Serbia's National Assembly, is intended to contribute to this process and to enhance regional peace and stability. Regrettably, other important stakeholders have failed to be constructive. We strongly condemn the dangerous sabre-rattling and war-mongering statement of the Croatian President, Mr. Stjepan Mesie.”
2010-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6264 (2010) · source
“I hope that it will be possible to find a practical solution and to depoliticize this issue, and I totally agree that the money should go to whoever supplies the electricity, as noted by the representative of the United Kingdom representative in this forum. I would also like to respond to some of the other comments made this afternoon. I want to acknowledge the statement made by the representative of our neighbour country Bosnia and Herzegovina. Being a responsible member of the international community, Serbia will continue to fully support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and will strongly oppose any attempt to partition that or any other State Member of the United Nations.”
2010-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6264 (2010) · source
“In the first round of these elections, 6,022 Serbs voted, according to a United Nations report, and more than 100,000 Serbs live in Kosovo today. Thus, at the very most, 6 per cent of Kosovo Serbs voted. There were 23,000 international observers - four times as many observers as Serb voters. Regarding the electricity problem in the northern part of Kosovo, Electric Power Industry of Serbia has provided electricity for the ordinary people living there only because Kosovo Energy Corporation cut off the supply of power to northern Kosovo, and only after that. By providing electricity for ordinary people, we have averted a humanitarian catastrophe affecting up to 100,000 residents. What happened with respect to the electricity supply in Kosovo is crystal clear.”
2010-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6264 (2010) · source
“Hyseni has made the claim, even today, that new talks on status and negotiating could "provoke a new conflict". That reflects a very strange understanding of dialogue and negotiations. In my view, it is a direct threat. It is truly outrageous and shows the truly destabilizing consequences of the unilateral declaration of independence. We have all suffered because of the bad policies and terrible visions of our leaders in the Balkans in the 19905. We have all suffered together. We have had so many human victims in the region, on all sides. I am very sorry because of that. Everyone who uses such argumentation is destabilizing the region once again. Allow me to say a few things about the elections that happened in Kosovo and about crystal-clear figures.”
2010-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6264 (2010) · source
“President Tadie: Let me begin by repeating that Serbia's central strategic priority is a peaceful, negotiated solution to the future status of Kosovo. In that respect, Serbia is committed to becoming a member of the European Union and to seeing the whole region integrated into the European Union in the future. Serbia is a constructive and reliable partner in that respect. We have submitted our candidacy and confirmed our European vision, and I want to thank all the countries that acknowledged this important development in this forum. I also want to thank the 127 States that respect the basic principles of the United Nations Charter and Serbian sovereignty and territorial integrity by not recognizing the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo. It is deeply disappointing and incredibly shocking that Mr.”
2010-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6264 (2010) · source
“There are no guilty peoples, only guilty individuals, and that is why Serbia continues to cooperate with The Hague Tribunal and expects others to complete their cooperation with the Tribunal.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“In that process, we see a role for the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the deployment of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX). Both UNMIK and EULEX are welcome, and without them it would not be possible to establish peace and stability. For its part, Serbia will respect the values and high standards defined by the United Nations, while pursuing its approach to finding a solution to the future status of Kosovo in accordance with international law. This is the position of Serbia. We spoke today of the cultural and historical sites that were destroyed in the former Yugoslavia. I would like to point out once again that each act of destruction had its own perpetrator.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“That catastrophe was experienced not only by the Albanians, but also by the Croats, Bosnians and Serbs in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. Every nation had its victims, and I do not forget those victims, not only among my people, but among all peoples. That is why I am the only President in the region to have extended my apologies to all the peoples of the region, expecting the same apology to also be extended to the Serbs. We want peace and stability in the entire region, but peace and stability will not be possible without Serbia's participation in the process. As a democratic country, Serbia is resolved to pursue peace and stability within the framework of the United Nations.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“President Tadie (Serbia) (spoke in Serbian; interpretation provided by the delegation): I will be very brief in my concluding remarks. The conflict between the Serbs and the Albanians has a long history. It burdened practically the entire past century and did not begin with the advent of Milosevic to power. It did not begin in 1999, and the request for the independence of Kosovo did not come about because of the war in 1999 or its victims. This request dates back many years. It was expressed in the 1960s and the 1980s, long before the war, by the demonstrations in Pristina. Accordingly, there was a political plan for the establishment of the independence of Kosovo, which was realized following a terrible humanitarian catastrophe.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“Serbia will continue to contribute to such cooperation. I conclude by quoting from the Secretary- General's report: UNMIK must "continue to play a crucial role in maintaining peace and stability on the ground" (S/2009/149, para. 35). Serbia will remain a factor for peace and stability, a partner to the international community in seeking a sustainable solution and a country that has its future in the European Union.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“I call on the authorities in Pristina not to obstruct the will of the international community. The Republic of Serbia is ready to continue to cooperate with EULEX in our southern province, because it has been confirmed by the United Nations that EULEX is welcome in Kosovo and Metohija. I would like to repeat that it is of great significance for us that UNMIK continue its mission and mandate and remain fully and ably present on the ground throughout Kosovo and that its budget not be reduced. Without UNMIK, it would not be possible to fulfil the requirements of either resolution 1244 (1999) or of the Secretary-General's six-point plan. I would like to underscore UNMIK's duty to be part of the Pristina delegation at all international and regional meetings, where it must be identified and heard under the name UNMIIUKosovo.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“The precisely formulated text of the November 2008 report, welcomed by the Security Council and reaffirmed in the report (S/2009/149) before the Council today, defines the status-neutrality of EULEX's engagement, which is a guarantee that no part of its mandate can be devoted to the implementation of the Ahtisaari plan for Kosovo's independence, which was rejected by the Republic of Serbia and was not endorsed by the Security Council, in the words of a previous report. However, it is of great significance that the implementation of the six points, as well as the full deployment of EULEX, shall be put into operation, notwithstanding the existence of some problems, and that this shall be done in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, most importantly with the Republic of Serbia.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“Serbia has and will continue to contribute constructively and seriously to finding mechanisms to fully implement the six points in the context of the negotiating process. We have made concrete proposals on the issues of the judiciary and the safeguarding of Serbian patrimony in Kosovo. We remain open to further talks with the aim of implementing the six points, in line with resolution 1244 (1999). What has always been a crucial condition for our acceptance of reconfiguration was a clear and binding commitment by the European Union, confirmed by the Security Council, to be fully status-neutral and to completely anchor its presence in Kosovo under the authority of the United Nations, with full respect for resolution 1244 (1999). I am pleased that those reasonable conditions have been met.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“Serbia will remain a good-faith partner to the international community in the interim administration of our southern province. The role of the European Union is of great significance. Now, as a result of the fact that the Security Council has welcomed the November report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/692), in which the mandate of EULEX is clearly defined as fully respecting resolution 1244 (1999) and operating in a strictly status-neutral manner under the auspices of the United Nations, our cooperative partnership with EULEX and UNMIK should continue in order to implement the provisions of the November report, namely, the six points that provide for the continuation of the dialogue with Belgrade.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“I call on all United Nations Member States that have not recognized the unilateral declaration of independence to stay the course while the Court conducts its work. The Republic of Serbia supports new negotiations on Kosovo's future status. That is the only way to find a just compromise and a mutually acceptable solution. Serbia will never recognize the independence of Kosovo, either directly or indirectly, and we will continue the diplomatic, legal and peaceful defence of our integrity. We are persuaded that the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice will be immensely useful for the international system in its entirety, because we believe that its answer to the question posed by the General Assembly will prevent the Kosovo issue from serving as a deeply dangerous precedent.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“They must not be turned back at the Administrative Boundary Line by the Pristina authorities. Such provocations can only serve to deeply distress the Serbian population of the province. The legal aspect of the Kosovo case, as we all know, finds itself before the International Court of Justice. The principal judicial organ of the United Nations will provide an advisory opinion on the following question: Is the unilateral declaration of independence by the Provisional Institutions of Self- government of Kosovo in accordance with international law? I believe that all United Nations Member States should respect the fact that the International Court of Justice will decide the issue and that no one should in any way prejudge its deliberations. Therefore, we expect no encouragement for further recognitions.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“There is minimal protection of human rights, as demonstrated by the small number of Kosovo Serbs and other non-Albanian who have returned to the province. Serbia, along with a number of European Union member States, faces tremendous problems arising out of the activities of the ethnic Albanian mafia in Kosovo, which specializes in the trafficking of narcotics, human beings and weapons. We want to see life return to normal in our southern province. I am convinced that Albanians and Serbs can live side by side. That is why the United Nations and EULEX have to work hard to discharge the mandate in full. Here and on this occasion, I would like to underline that it is of exceptional importance for UNMIK and EULEX to ensure freedom of movement throughout Kosovo for the democratically chosen officials of the Republic of Serbia.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“I would now like to refer to some of the attacks on Kosovo Serbs that have taken place in the past month. Two houses, in which lived returnees to the village of Drsnik, near Klina, were burned to the ground on 14 March. On the same day, shots were fired at the home of Dragoljub Budzevic in the village of Ljug, near Istok. Mr. Budzevic had returned to his village in Kosovo three years ago, together with 45 other Serbs. Before their return, they had lived as internally displaced persons in other parts of Serbia since their expulsion in the summer of 1999. In another part of Kosovo, the village of Silovo, 14 Kosovo Serbs were injured due to the excessive use of force by ethnic Albanian police. It is obvious to everyone today that, 13 months after the illegal unilateral declaration of independence, Kosovo is no State.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“That is why I have called on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) to take the necessary measures to ensure that justice is done for every resident of Kosovo and Metohija, irrespective of ethnicity or religious affiliation. Every crime, especially hate crimes, must be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted. Those accused must be tried before a just and impartial court. We expect the United Nations and European Union peacekeeping missions to establish the rule of law and provide the preconditions for a peaceful life. They must prevent the release of perpetrators as was recently done in the case of one who had been sentenced by UNMIK's court to a 40-year sentence for the terrorist attack of booby-trapping a bus, in which nine Serbs lost their lives.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“Let us recall that, in the March 2004 pogrom, more than 50,000 ethnic Albanian extremists participated in an organized campaign of violence in which 19 were killed, 950 were injured and more than 4,000 Serbs were expelled. Additionally, more than 900 buildings were destroyed and 35 Christian churches and monasteries set ablaze, shelled or otherwise destroyed. Many of those structures dated to the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. Five years later, not a single individual remains behind bars for the organized burning down of a church in Kosovo.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“In short, respect for the basic norms of civilization is denied to them. That is why I would like to underline my disagreement with the optimistic views expressed in the report. The aggression committed against the Serbian residents of the village of Silovo is a case in point. The village was without power for weeks in the middle of winter because of a condition set by authorities in Pristina for the signing of written contracts that would have meant indirect recognition on the part of the residents of the illegal construct known as the Republic of Kosovo. That illustrates how Serbs are the most endangered community in all of civilized Europe.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“The attempt at secession by ethnic Albanian authorities of our southern province of Kosovo and Metohija that took place on 17 February 2008, nine years after the bombing of Serbia, is a direct violation of the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and resolution 1244 (1999). Pristina's unilateral and illegal declaration of independence represents an attempt to forcibly partition a Member State of the United Nations, against its will, and without the consent of the Security Council. Unfortunately, that was supported by a certain number of countries, primarily because of the constant threat of violence if Kosovo's ethnic Albanian community's secessionist demands were not met. Even today, Serbs in Kosovo have no security, freedom of movement, rule of law, electricity or water.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“That is precisely the reason why Serbia will continue to fully cooperate with the Hague Tribunal, and why we will keep doing everything in our power to arrest and bring before the Court the two remaining indictees at large, namely, Goran Hadzic and Ratko Mladic. Today, nine years after the fall of Milosevic, Serbia is a modern European democracy that poses no threat to anyone. The country of which I am President has repeated time and again that joining the European Union is its most important strategic goal. We will continue to be dedicated, as a matter of principle, to resolving outstanding problems exclusively through peaceful dialogue and without recourse to force.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“The recent decisions by the Hague Tribunal against particular individuals in the Kosovo case - involving four former officials of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and one Serbian official - demonstrate that the State's collective responsibility, or that of its citizens, does not exist. It is possible to debate whether the sentences were too harsh, especially in the light of the not-guilty verdict handed down in the case of a leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Ramoush Haradinaj. I note that, according to a statement by the then Prosecutor of the Tribunal, Witnesses were not only intimidated but also even physically liquidated. However, one thing is certain: specific individuals were convicted for specific crimes.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“Just as for Serbia the lesson of the tragic military campaign of 1999 is that never again should a situation be created in which its citizens are punished and killed, so must the lesson for the international community be that innocent civilians should never have to pay for a wrongful policy with their lives. The Republic of Serbia condemns every war crime as a matter of principle and affirms that all accused must be brought to justice. Our principled position is that every indictee is an individual with a particular name and surname and that the doctrine of collective responsibility of nations or States cannot legitimately exist.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source