Dacic: The best and strongest speech by a President of Serbia at the UN 

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivica Dacic, stated that President Aleksandar Vucic, in his speech before the United Nations General Assembly, had clearly emphasized Serbia's commitment to the UN Charter and the principles of the charter regarding territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Commenting on the international community's messages regarding the current situation in Kosovo, he highlighted the statement made by the US Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, who essentially conveyed the message to Pristina, 'Come to your senses.'

"Today is a very important day because Serbia has clearly reaffirmed its commitment to the UN Charter and its principles. We respect the UN Charter and we are on the path to Europe, but it should not come at the expense of our traditional friendships with countries that safeguard our territorial integrity," Dacic told reporters in New York.

He emphasized that today had been a significant day for Serbia in New York.

"I have been coming here for a long time as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and before that as Prime Minister, and from the perspective of that ten-year experience and all the speeches I have heard, this is the strongest and best speech delivered by a President of Serbia in the United Nations General Assembly. I believe it is crucial for us because the President summed up the main problem - the interpretation of territorial integrity and sovereignty, that is, that major powers interpret it with double standards, advocating for the preservation of Ukraine's territorial integrity on one hand, and when it comes to Serbia, they claim it's not the same thing," Dacic noted.

He added that this spoke of the lack of a sense of universal principles, emphasizing that President Vucic had reminded everyone of this, pointing out that the essence of the problem concerning Kosovo was the violation of a fundamental principle.

In this regard, he also mentioned that US President Joe Biden stated that it was the number one principle.

"That's also a relativization of that principle because some countries have recognized Kosovo. The key is the President's statement that this should apply to every UN member and that anyone who addresses Serbia with unrealistic demands should understand that we have not endangered anyone's territorial integrity and that we are victims of a violation of that principle. All of this leads to the fact that ten years after the signing of the Brussels Agreement, we still have Kosovo's refusal to implement that agreement and establish the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities (CSM), and not only that, but they are putting the Serbs living in Kosovo and Metohija on the brink of existence, with physical threats, injuries, beatings, and the closure of all crossings that they see as borders for Serbian goods, which are essential for people's lives," Dacic pointed out.

The head of Serbian diplomacy believes that many do not grasp the seriousness of the situation in Kosovo, and he hopes, or as he says, he is confident that the vast majority of Serbian citizens today could listen to Vucic's speech with satisfaction and pride, saying that what the President said is what they think as well.

Pointing out that there are calls in the UN to respect and preserve territorial integrity and sovereignty, and then the same ones call for Kosovo's recognition, Dacic says that this brings us back to the stance that it is important to be against Serbia, not for principles.

"I have to disappoint all those who speak like that by saying that our position is strong and firm when it comes to countries and support for Serbia. We have talked to dozens of ministers, prime ministers, and presidents, and we have strengthened our relationships. Our position is clear, Kosovo is here in the corridors, and someone has let them in, but in the room where decisions are made, the President of Serbia sits and delivers a speech. This will always be the case because Kosovo can never enter the UN; I am not talking about Russia and China in the Security Council now, I am talking about the total number of members, which is 193, and as things stand now, they cannot get more than about 84 votes. Our position is clear, firm, and favorable. The President's speech is our official policy, and I am sure that all of Serbia could see and support it," Dacic said.

What surprises him, as he says, is the opposition's indifference when it comes to Serbia's problems, the situation regarding Kosovo, and the laconic responses that it's a matter of democracy and reconciliation.

"They said the same thing after October 5th, that all problems would be solved with the departure of Slobodan Milosevic, but the situation became more and more complicated, and it has been getting more complicated day by day, to the point where they declared unilateral independence," Dacic commented on today's opposition gathering in Belgrade.

He told reporters that he had attended the meeting President Vucic had had with the Vice President of China and pointed out that it had been a very important event for Serbia, given all the plans that President Vucic had for cooperation with China, and also because the country that had been in 10th place in terms of trade ten years ago was now in second place.

As he stated, Vucic had informed the Vice President of China about the current situation in Kosovo, and the problems, and had requested China's support.

"The Vice President of China emphasized that this was an unquestionable and iron friendship, personal cooperation, and the relationship between the two presidents," Dacic said.

Escobar's message to Pristina: Come to Your Senses

When asked about his view on the messages from the international community regarding Serbia and Kosovo after the failed round of dialogue, Dacic says that the most striking message for him came from Gabriel Escobar.

"It goes something like this - 'Pristina, come to your senses.' He kindly asked Serbia to be patient and constructive, and he did not address Serbia as if it were at fault. Regardless of the fact that they sometimes disguise it and say 'both sides are called upon,' it is clear who is to blame for the situation in Kosovo and Metohija now. We gain nothing from someone criticizing someone else; the issue is that Kurti is endangering peace, people's lives, and the livelihoods of the Serbian population by blocking goods," he emphasized.

Dacic says that Kurti is working to create a situation where there is no survival for the Serbs in Kosovo.

"We must oppose that, and we are opposing it. It is good that wherever we were, everyone has clear messages, and all criticisms are directed at Pristina - that they must implement what was signed ten years ago and be constructive for the normalization of relations," the Minister of Foreign Affairs said.
While stating that today the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jamaica told him that she had heard that Serbia had reached an agreement with Kosovo on mutual recognition, Dacic asked her where she had heard that and received the answer that people from Pristina had told her so.

"They are abusing the Ohrid Agreement. Escobar said that these were not negotiations about recognition but about the normalization of relations. The negotiations are status-neutral; when there will be political negotiations, a political solution is another question, and now everyone understands that, and I think that number will not significantly change, but it can change only in our favor," Dacic concluded.