Dacic: If we imposed sanctions, Russia would not change its position on Kosovo, but relations would not be the same

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic says that he does not believe that Russia would change its position on Kosovo if Serbia imposed sanctions on Moscow but also points out that relations would not be the same as they are now, RTV reports.

Speaking for TV Prva, Dacic said that Serbia condemned the threat to the territorial integrity of Ukraine but did not impose sanctions on Russia out of principle.

"There are 84 countries that recognize Kosovo, out of 193. If someone raises the question of membership in the UN, the first thing to do is declare the Security Council, where Russia and China have veto power," he said.

Dacic stated that some European countries, much more developed than Serbia, worked better with Russia than before the sanctions.

Commenting on relations with China, he recalled that French President Emmanuel Macron and the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, had visited that country.

"We have to look at our interests, to preserve our European path and our national and state interests. Our interest is peace and stability in the region, as well as the protection of the interests of our people in Kosovo and Metohija," Dacic said.

He emphasized that Pristina's interest was not to implement the agreements but to expel the Serbs and create an environment in which Serbia could no longer assist the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. Dacic assesses that the Serbs are under pressure and threatened with arrest to either accept everything from Pristina or to move.

He said that Albin Kurti wanted to present Serbia as the bad guy and that he and some Western countries were just waiting for Serbia to say that it would not negotiate.

"Our policy of being in dialogue is correct. We also receive praise from the West that we have a more constructive approach than Pristina. President Vucic said that we have an obligation to implement the principles up to the red lines, which are the de facto or de jure recognition of Kosovo and Kosovo's membership in the UN," he pointed out.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic asked today why Pristina was bothered by his visit to Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, countries that have not recognized Kosovo, when they were not bothered by the fact that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had been there last month.

Dacic told TV Prva that none of those countries friendly to Serbia recognized Kosovo and that he was the first head of diplomacy in the history of Serbia to go there.

"President Vucic believes that we should step into cooperation with those big countries. I think there is great potential for cooperation," he said.

Dacic wondered if Pristina expected Serbia's representatives to go and lobby for independence recognition.

"We didn't even talk much about Kosovo and Metohija," the head of diplomacy said.