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

“A result of that tragic war, which produced an awful catalogue of casualties among the sides and whose end was marked by the establishment of an international administration, was the exodus from the province of more than 200,000 ethnic Serbs and Roma. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's report (S/2009/149) includes the sad observation that even today, 10 years later, those people cannot return to their homes. I would like to underline one further counter- intuitive fact. Serbs were punished 10 years ago with bombs, but 10 years later, in the wake of the mass expulsion of Serbs and the firebombing of their homes and holy sites, Kosovo Albanians have been rewarded by having their illegal declaration of independence recognized by more than 50 countries.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“The number of victims does not include those who subsequently succumbed to leukemia and other deadly diseases caused by the depleted-uranium-coated bombs that were dropped on my country. As a result of 2,300 air strikes throughout Serbia, 148 residential buildings and 62 bridges were destroyed, while 300 schools, hospitals and other public buildings were damaged, as were 176 cultural heritage sites. One third of the country's electrical capacity was destroyed, as were two major oil refineries. According to studies conducted by economists, the direct damage to my nation's economy has been estimated to be approximately $30 billion; the indirect damage was much greater. We were collectively accused, and then collectively bombed for, as it was then claimed, the expulsion of 800,000 ethnic Albanians from Kosovo and Metohija.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for having organized this meeting of the Security Council to once again debate the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. I also pleased to acknowledge the presence here of Special Representative of the Secretary-General Lamberto Zannier, with whom I recently had a productive meeting in Belgrade. Tomorrow, 24 March, will be the tenth anniversary of the start of NATO's bombing of my country. I would like to recall that that tragic event, which lasted a full 78 days, was not undertaken with the approval of this body. During a three-month period in which cities and villages were bombed every day, 2,500 civilians were killed, including 89 children, and 12,500 more were injured.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“Khalilzad, the Permanent Representative of the United States, says that he feels the Secretary-General's pain, I expect that Mr. Khalilzad will feel my pain as well. I am the President of Serbia. Serbia is a legitimate democracy - a European country with a European culture which is defending its legitimate interests in a normal way: by using diplomatic tools, not by making war. We expect that our legitimate interests will be respected, not only with regard to our European future, which is not in question, but also with regard to our integrity and sovereignty. We are a normal and legitimate democracy - a European State - with our own sovereignty and integrity.”
2008-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5917 (2008) · source
“At the same time, we are respecting international law. But this is not only about international law. If a unilateral declaration of independence and so-called Kosovo independence are going to happen, it is a problem not only for our region and my country, but also for other regions with similar problems. The Council knows that I speak the truth. This is a very dangerous precedent in terms of the stability of other regions all around the world - on all continents - with very similar problems. I ask Council members what the next case will be in the Security Council of the United Nations - it will be one very similar to the case of Kosovo. When the Secretary-General says that this is the most complicated problem of his career, I believe him. This is indeed one of the most complicated problems in your career, Mr. Secretary-General. When Mr.”
2008-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5917 (2008) · source
“That is not a dialogue between two sides. As I say, Belgrade is going to do everything possible in terms of improving the situation and ensuring the respect of human rights and better circumstances for all citizens of Serbia, including Kosovo. After the unilateral declaration of independence and after the adoption of the so-called constitution of Kosovo, Belgrade did not cut Kosovo off in terms of its economy, transportation and communications. Belgrade did not act violently against Kosovo and Metohij a. Belgrade is trying to do everything stipulated by the United Nations in terms of providing stability and security in Kosovo. If Mr. Sejdiu is saying that Serbia's current policy is sending our region back to the 1990s, I totally disagree. We are not making war; we are not threatening; we are trying to achieve a compromise solution.”
2008-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5917 (2008) · source
“If the expectation is that some Serbs will return to their own homes in the period ahead of us under these circumstances, that is not a realistic expectation. I would like to see progress, and I am going to do everything in my power to establish the circumstances in which Serbs will return to their own homes. But the problem comes from Kosovo, its municipal institutions and its central Government. Belgrade is not the problem. Belgrade is the seat of Serbia's legitimate democracy today. We are participating in the negotiation process, and we have always been doing so since its beginning. Even though we have done so, the Kosovo Albanian delegation has avoided talking with the Belgrade delegation about the future status of Kosovo, saying only a few words about our bilateral relations after Kosovo's independence. That is not democracy.”
2008-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5917 (2008) · source
“President Tadie: Thank you, Mr. President, for giving me the opportunity to comment, at the end of this meeting, on the reactions to my statement and the statements by Mr. Sedjiu and the Secretary-General. First of all, there are no multi-ethnic institutions in Kosovo and Metohija, even today. There are only a few Serbs who participate in those institutions, and if the question is, who is supporting those Serbs, I answer that it is only the members of the Albanian Government in Kosovo and Metohija. Belgrade is not preventing Serbs from participating in those institutions. There is no confidence in them because of the lack of results they have achieved. If the question is how many Serbs have returned to their homes after the adoption of the Kosovo constitution and the declaration of independence, my answer is crystal clear: none.”
2008-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5917 (2008) · source
“I take this opportunity to once again express my profound appreciation to the members of the Council and the leaders of the concerned parties for their valuable support and understanding in the broader interest of peace and security in the region.”
2008-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5917 (2008) · source
“He will help to carry forward the vision I have presented in my report and to lead a new phase of dialogue, and he will be scrupulously balanced in his approach. The reconfiguration of UNMIK that I have presented to the Security Council aims at preserving and consolidating the achievements reached during a tumultuous period and at creating the foundations for Kosovo's further progress within the framework of resolution 1244 (1999). In doing so, my overriding objectives are to ensure Kosovo's overall stability, to protect and promote the interests of all of its communities and to maintain international peace and security in Kosovo and the broader region.”
2008-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5917 (2008) · source
“Under the United Nations interim administration, Kosovo has made significant strides in moving beyond conflict towards peace, in creating and consolidating democratic governance institutions and in creating the foundations for a viable economy. Not everything has been achieved, but we have come a long way, and we must be sure that, with these most recent changes in the situation, we do not lose what has been gained with so much effort. We must evolve our presence to ensure that earlier achievements are safeguarded and built upon. The task will be a difficult one. To lead this new phase of the mission, I intend to appoint Mr. Lamberto Zannier of Italy to be my Special Representative.”
2008-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5917 (2008) · source
“I believe that that enhanced role would be in the interests of the United Nations and of the international community as a whole. I also note the aspiration of people of all communities in the region to live in closer association with the European family of nations. As I set out in my report, the European Union will therefore take on some increasing operational responsibilities in the areas of international policing, justice and customs in Kosovo, within a reconfigured UNMIK, within the mandate 3 established by resolution 1244 (1999), and under an umbrella headed by my Special Representative. Nine years since the inception of UNMIK, the situation in Kosovo has evolved profoundly.”
2008-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5917 (2008) · source
“President Tadie: police, courts, customs, transport and infrastructure, boundaries and Serbian patrimony. I consider that this dialogue, which was initiated by my Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations and which will be carried forward by my Special Representative in close consultation with the authorities in Kosovo and with relevant stakeholders, is of crucial importance for all of Kosovo's communities. I look to the Security Council and to the broader international community to support my Special Representative's efforts in bringing forward that dialogue. As the Security Council is aware, the European Union has expressed its readiness to perform an enhanced operational role in Kosovo in the area of the rule of law, and has put in place measures to do so.”
2008-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5917 (2008) · source
“At this moment, historically important for Serbia, our strength is in our resolve to embrace and protect the life of each and every man and woman and to preserve our integrity, as well as the integrity of all other countries. Our strength is in our determination to preserve the stability and dignity of our country and the prospects of the region in which we live. We owe this to ourselves, as well as to the generations that are yet to be born. All peoples of the Balkans need peace, stability and development. All our children need it, and we must achieve it. Here, in the Security Council of the United Nations, I say clearly and unequivocally: Serbia will never recognize the independence of Kosovo. We shall never renounce Kosovo, and we shall not give up the struggle for our legitimate interests.”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“I believe in regional peace and stability. I believe that long-lasting peace and stability can be achieved only by negotiations and compromise solutions. I am convinced that only a peaceful and stable Balkans can bring economic prosperity to all its citizens. Unilateral decisions like the one taken in Pristina cannot contribute to a legitimate solution and do not favour that perspective of regional peace and security. We all must understand this, and we must invest additional efforts to bring about a legitimate solution. I would like to point out once again that Serbia threatens Violence to no one. On the contrary, our strength is in the pursuit of the policy of peace. Our strength is in the powerful arguments by which we fight for right and justice.”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“This will, let me reiterate, have unfathomable consequences. I consider that such a decision legalizes the ethnic cleansing carried out against the Serbs in 1999 after the arrival of KFOR and UNMIK in Kosovo and Metohija. The States that recognize the independence of this Serbian province would, by such an act, bear responsibility for a possible new ethnic cleansing campaign directed against Serbs remaining in Kosovo and Metohij a. All the Albanians who were in Kosovo in 1999 are there today. But 250,000 Serbs who lived in Kosovo prior to 1999 do not live in their homes anymore; they live in refugee camps in central Serbia. How many Serbs will return to their homes in Kosovo and Metohija if it becomes independent? Are Council members aware that this illegal decision sends them a message not to return because they are not wanted there?”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“It is responsible for the protection of the lives and property of the Serbs and of all other non-Albanian communities in the province. KFOR must show special care for the most vulnerable, for the Kosovo Serbs, as well as for the clergy of the Serbian Orthodox Church and our churches and monasteries, some of which have been placed on UNESCO's list of world heritage in danger. These holy places are the crucibles of Serbian identity, tradition and history. The Republic of Serbia wishes to believe that KFOR is capable of preventing all violence against the Serbian population and the "cleansing" of our religious heritage. At this moment, we are faced with the challenge of a unilateral declaration of independence and the decision of some countries to recognize the illegal establishment of a State on the territory of a sovereign State.”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“Ban Ki-moon, to issue, in pursuance of the previous decisions of the Security Council, including resolution 1244 (1999), a clear and unequivocal instruction to his Special Representative for Kosovo, Joachim Rucker, to use his powers within the shortest possible period of time and declare the unilateral and illegal act of the secession of Kosovo from the Republic of Serbia null and void. We also request that Special Representative Riicker dissolve the Kosovo Assembly, because it declared independence contrary to Security Council resolution 1244 (1999). The Special Representative has binding powers, and they have been used before. I request that he use them again. Pursuant to paragraph 9 of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999), the international security presence in Kosovo, KFOR, must remain status- neutral.”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“The unilateral and illegal declaration of the independence of Kosovo runs afoul of the first principle of the Charter of the United Nations - the sovereign equality of all Member States - in the most direct way. I repeat: there are dozens of other Kosovos in the world, and all of them are lying in wait for Kosovo's act of secession to become a reality and to be established as an acceptable norm. I warn Council members most seriously of the danger of the escalation of many existing conflicts, the flaring up of frozen conflicts and the instigation of new ones. My country requests that the Security Council take effective measures in order to ensure that all the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and of Council resolution 1244 (1999) are fully respected. We request the Secretary-General, Mr.”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“The Government of Serbia and the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia have declared the decision of the Pristina authorities null and void. Likewise, we are taking all diplomatic and political measures to prevent the secession of a part of our territory. As a responsible member of the international community committed to the peaceful and negotiated settlement of disputes, the Republic of Serbia will not resort to force. No crisis has ever been resolved successfully by force. Only human lives are destroyed by force. On the other hand, this arbitrary decision represents a precedent which will cause irreparable damage to the international order.”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“The question before the Council is this: Are we all aware of the precedent that is being set, and are we aware of the catastrophic consequences that it may lead to? The Security Council and all United Nations Member States are bound by Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia. This is provided for by Security Council resolution 1244 (1999), and Serbia, as a sovereign country, requests that the Security Council abide by international law, the principles of international justice, the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the provisions of the Council's resolution. The Republic of Serbia will not accept the violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“08-24256 All United Nations Member States are represented in this building. A large number of countries all over the world are plagued by problems similar to Serbia's. Imagine, members of the Council, that you were in my place: that of the President of a country which is being deprived of a part of its territory against its will. How would you feel, and how would you respond? I am asking this question because if you turn a blind eye to this illegal act, who guarantees to you that parts of your own countries will not declare independence in the same illegal way? Who can guarantee to you that a blind eye will not be turned to the Violation of the Charter of the United Nations, which guarantees the sovereignty and integrity of each State, when your country's turn comes?”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“Whoever may support Kosovo's independence must realize that this act legalizes the threat of Violence as a means of creating new States and promoting one's own political agendas and interests. If the members of the Security Council allow this illegal act to stand, they will demonstrate that right and justice can be disrespected in the world. They will demonstrate that, unfortunately, this body of the world Organization is losing its authority. After this act, the world will no longer be the same. Serbia, a European State, will continue to fight for law and justice in a dignified, peaceful and civilized way in such a world as well. We shall never give up our legitimate interests and shall continue our peaceful and diplomatic struggle in pursuit of our legitimate European perspective.”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“A reward is being bestowed on those who have taken part in the segregation of Serbs and who deny them freedom of movement and force them to live in darkness and in constant fear for their lives. Since 1999, 250,000 Serbs and other non-Albanians have been expelled from Kosovo. In mid-March 2004, militant and extremist members of the Albanian community in Kosovo burned 35 churches and monasteries and 800 houses in only three days, while another 5,000 Serbs and other non- Albanians fled their homes. Is the independence of Kosovo a just reward for all the things that I have enumerated? Another argument that has been invoked in favour of granting independence to the Albanians has been the contention that they would otherwise resort to Violence.”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“Eight years later, a now democratic and peace-loving Serbia is once again being punished, by being deprived of a part of its territory. Indeed, that kind of logic and that kind of justice are impossible to explain or comprehend. Independence is being granted to an ethnic community in our province that has been administered by the United Nations and the Kosovo Provisional Institutions of Self-Government for eight years now. In all those years, they have done nothing to enable the remaining Serbs and other non-Albanians to live lives worthy of human dignity. Independence is being conferred on those who, at the beginning of the twenty- first century, created Serbian ghettos in Europe - ghettos girdled with barbed wire and surrounded with cannon barrels and soldiers armed to the teeth.”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“The representatives of some countries present at this table keep telling us openly that Slobodan Milosevic is the culprit behind the situation in Kosovo and that it is because of his mistakes that it is being granted independence. Let me tell them that today is 19 February 2008, that Slobodan Milosevic is no longer there and that in 1999, when he was in power in Serbia, Kosovo was not granted independence. Here, I wish to recall before this United Nations body that the Albanians demanded independence and worked actively for secession from Serbia for decades, even before Slobodan Milosevic. With the Council's permission, I shall also recall that it was in the very same year, 1999, that the citizens of Serbia were unjustly and severely punished by three months of bombing.”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“If a small, peace-loving and democratic country in Europe that is a United Nations Member State can be deprived of its territory illegally and against its will, a historic injustice will have occurred, because a legitimate democracy has never before been punished in that way. The Serbian State was born in Kosovo, and it represents the central part of our identity. I shall be frank with the Council: this is a situation in which a peace-loving country where a proud and European people lives is having a part of its identity, tradition and history snatched away. This act annuls international law, tramples upon justice and enthrones injustice.”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“President Tadie (Serbia) (spoke in Serbian; English text provided by the delegation): The Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of the southern Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija, under interim United Nations administration, unilaterally and illegally declared their independence on Sunday, 17 February. This illegal declaration of independence by the Kosovo Albanians constitutes a flagrant Violation of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999), which reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia, including Kosovo and Metohija. Serbia, let me recall, is a founding State Member of the United Nations.”
2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source
“We have been denied the right to the warmth of our family. Let them not deprive us of the right at least to live in our own country. "I thank you for your attention. "Sincerely, Slobodanka Tasic"”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“"As I write to you, I feel like a leaf in the wind that does not know in which direction it will be blown away. I have no protection at all. Who will protect me? I have no father; he disappeared in 1999. 08-20881 "I am 15 years old. I was born in Kosovo and Metohija and still live there, though not in the house in which I was born, which was burned to the ground. My childhood differs from that of children in free countries. All children throughout the world have friends; my inseparable friend is fear, which is with me from dawn to dusk. "That is why I call on you, Mr. President, to transmit this message to the world, because all these childhood fears, afflictions and early wounds remain painful and will not heal. We have been denied the right to a carefree childhood, freedom and happiness.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“Serbia is ready and willing to participate as a partner of the Security Council in the quest for a compromise and sustainable solution that will ensure long-term peace and stability in the Balkans and a better life for all its inhabitants. Since this Security Council meeting is devoted to the implementation of standards in Kosovo and Metohija, I should like to read out a letter from a girl from Kosovo and Metohija that I received just before this meeting. It accurately reflects the situation of standards implementation in Kosovo and Metohija. "Mr. President: "Having been told that you will speak before the Security Council on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, I am writing this letter to you in total darkness, since there is no electricity once again. I plead with you to read it to the Council, if possible.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“Those are some of the facts in a sea of data that speak volumes about the real situation in Kosovo. A solution to the future status of Kosovo and Metohija must be found by the Security Council, just as this organ must agree to any change in the composition of the civilian and military presences in the province. The people of Serbia are firmly committed to maintaining the territorial integrity and sovereignty of their country while continuing the process of European integration in order to achieve a better life and 08-2088] economic prosperity. I therefore call on the Security Council to listen to Serbia's position and to decide to resume the negotiations on the future status of Kosovo and Metohija. We are ready for an immediate resumption of negotiations.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“Members of Serbian and other communities suffering from ethnically motivated discrimination continue to experience human rights violations and restricted freedom of movement. There is constant intimidation of Serbs, including attacks on their property and their cultural and religious heritage. Here are some other hard facts: as of January 2007, more than 7,000 ethnically motivated attacks had taken place; 581 Serbs and 104 members of other communities experiencing ethnic discrimination have been killed since the arrival of UNMIK and KFOR in 1999; 841 Serbs have been abducted; and 960 persons have been seriously wounded. Nearly 18,000 houses have been destroyed and the same number looted, while 27,000 apartments and houses have been appropriated.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“According to data issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, eight years after UNMIK'S arrival in Kosovo and Metohija, 207,000 persons remain internally displaced in Serbia. In Kosovo and Metohija itself, approximately 22,000 persons have been expelled from their own homes and moved to other places in the province. The right of return is based on the international principle of the protection of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms and on humanitarian norms included in the document entitled "Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement". Permit me to summarize a few facts that call into question the proclaimed multi-ethnic nature of the current situation in the province. There are 250,000 expelled persons, 207,000 of whom are internally displaced in Serbia and all of whom have been waiting to return to their homes.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“I shall refer only to the most painful issues, such as the security of the Serbian population and the return of internally displaced persons. The basic human right to freedom of movement is being denied to members of communities in Kosovo and Metohija suffering ethnically motivated discrimination. The fact is that a basic human right, denied only to prisoners in United Nations Member States, is being denied to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija merely because of their ethnicity. The process of return is an area in which Kosovo's Provisional Institutions of Self-Government and UNMIK have made no progress. That is the main indication of the failure to build a multi-ethnic society in Kosovo and Metohija.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“Although we insisted throughout the negotiations that the other negotiating party renounce violence and the threat of force, it failed to do so, in contrast to the Serbian side. If any violence should break out in Kosovo, and if KFOR should not be able to appropriately react and protect the Serbs, we would be ready to assist and provide protection to the threatened population, with- and I stress this - the agreement of the relevant international institutions and with strict respect for international law. Let me also say a few words about the report of Mr. Joachim Riicker, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Kosovo, on the situation with regard to standards implementation. The report does not accurately reflect the real situation.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“Serbia will never recognize Kosovo's independence and will preserve its territorial integrity and sovereignty through all democratic means, legal arguments and diplomacy. I thus reaffirm once again that Serbia will not resort to violence or war. Let me point out that the State institutions of the Republic of Serbia continue to engage in good cooperation with the International Security Force in Kosovo (KFOR). I should like to recall that diplomatic efforts and the cooperation that I have mentioned saved many lives on 17 March 2004, when militant and extremist members of the Albanian community in Kosovo burned 35 churches and monasteries and 800 houses and expelled 5,000 Serbs and other non-Albanians from their homes in only three days.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“I believe that all members of the Security Council are aware that resolution 1244 (1999) guarantees the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia. Therefore, I call on the Council to prevent the promotion and adoption of a unilateral measure on the independence of Kosovo. I call on the Council to prevent any violation of resolution 1244 (1999) or of the Charter of the United Nations. 3 For its part, Serbia respects the Charter, resolution 1244 (1999), the Helsinki Final Act and all other relevant valid international documents. That is telling evidence of our full commitment to participating constructively and responsibly in the continued quest for a stable and mutually acceptable solution.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“The Security Council can count on Serbia's entire willingness to take part in a constructive and responsible manner in resumed negotiations, which could be held in Belgrade, Pristina or anywhere else in the world and in any form that this United Nations body might deem appropriate. Here, I would like to point out to Council members once again that the Charter of the United Nations guarantees the principle of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of internationally recognized States, and that Serbia is such a State. To deprive a legitimate democracy of an integral part of its territory contrary to its will would constitute a violation of the Charter, would call the world Organization's credibility into question and would undermine the foundations of international law, which support the entire world order.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“The vision and methods that we have learned from the history of Europe since 1945 make it possible for us to aspire to a future in which we solve problems patiently and by agreement, for the benefit of all. We must bear in mind that the common goal of all the peoples of our region is to find solutions that will prepare us for a future in the European Union. We therefore believe that additional efforts are needed in order to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution so as to ensure, in accordance with resolution 1244 (1999), substantial and functioning self- government that would guarantee all rights to the Kosovo Albanians. Such a solution is possible and attainable.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“We must make every effort to solve the misunderstandings and conflicts in our part of Europe peacefully and by agreement alone, not by making unilateral moves. Unilateral recognition of Kosovo's independence would no doubt be a precedent. No one has the right to destabilize Serbia and the Balkans through hasty and unilateral decisions, which would also have unforeseeable consequences for other regions fraught with problems related to ethnic separatism. On 08-20881 a number of occasions, we have made clear our position that a solution must be in accordance with international law, that it must be a result of compromise, that it must be acceptable to both sides and that it must bring about long-term peace and prosperity for all of my country's citizens and for the region.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“That is, until the people of Serbia threw it out, in October 2000, in defence of their will democratically expressed in elections. Serbia has now been a democratic and peaceful country for eight years and has negotiated hard and offered solutions and compromises. There exists no justifiable reason or legal argument why Serbia and its people should be unjustly punished again because of a flawed policy ofa bad regime almost a decade ago. If the community of European nations was created 50 years ago on the basis of a project to establish lasting peace and solve all problems through agreement, it is necessary that that great civilizational value and principle also take root in the Balkans today.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“The only argument that the other side put forward was that Slobodan Milosevic and his regime were the party guilty for the situation in Kosovo. It also alleged that, because of the mistakes of the former regime, Kosovo deserved independence. Let me therefore remind the Council that Serbia and its people experienced very trying times in the last 10 years of the twentieth century due to the tragic mistakes of the past regime. Sanctions, conflict, killings, poverty, fear and uncertainty were the daily way of life of the Citizens of Serbia for more than a decade. The consequences of a bad and irresponsible policy culminated in the unjust punishment of Serbia during three months of bombing in the spring of 1999. Indeed, citizens were punished while the regime went soot-free.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“The history of Europe in the past 50 years is rife with unique examples that demonstrate how sovereignty can be harmonized with self-government. 08-2088] The fact is that the Serbian negotiating team has invested enormous efforts in reaching a compromise. Unfortunately, the negotiations conducted under the auspices of the international mediating troika failed to yield results. It is also a fact that the Pristina side has refused to talk about the future status of Kosovo, which had been defined as a basic topic for negotiations beforehand, and tried instead, unsuccessfully, to impose negotiations on relations between independent States. That obviously was prevarication vis-a-vis a clearly set goal of the negotiations.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“It has been proved that such solutions are in accordance with international law and that they are the only way to arrive at a compromise in conflicts similar to the Kosovo conflict. It is for that reason that the Belgrade negotiating team has measured its proposals for substantial autonomy against the manner in which China has resolved the question of Hong Kong and Macau and Finland has resolved the status of the Aaland Islands. Subsequent analysis has corroborated arguments maintaining that a solution to the future status of Kosovo and Metohija can be similarly found. I believe that it is in the general interest that we examine all the possibilities and lessons. We can find something new in each example that will help us open the door to a situation on which we will all agree.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source
“President Tadie (Serbia) (spoke in Serbian; English text furnished by the delegation): I would like to thank the Council on behalf of the Republic of Serbia for the opportunity once again to present to it the position of my country on the need to resolve the future status of Kosovo and Metohija through compromise. All participants in that process must approach this problem carefully and with a great degree of responsibility. In the past two years, the Republic of Serbia has taken part in the negotiations on the future status of its southern province in a constructive way. We have put forward a number of proposals that favour the greatest possible autonomy as the best solution for Kosovo and Metohija. Substantial autonomy has figured in various models as a functioning, sustainable and successful solution.”
2008-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5821 (2008) · source