Dacic: Normalization of relations with Pristina does not mean recognition of Kosovo

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Ivica Dacic stated tonight, after a meeting with his Belgian counterpart Hadja Lahbib, that normalization of relations with Pristina had never been a problem for Serbia, but normalization did not mean recognition of Kosovo.

"These are two separate things. There has never been any discussion about the latter, nor has Serbia ever agreed to it", Dacic emphasized at a joint press conference.

He recalled that as early as 2013, he had signed the first such agreement on the normalization of relations.

"So we expect the Pristina side to fulfill its obligations. As for Belgrade, we will remain consistent in the desire for the dialogue to progress", Dacic said.

He emphasized once again that Serbia believed that anyone who wanted to contribute to the stabilization and de-escalation of the situation in Kosovo should start from the premise that the Pristina side needed to fulfill its obligations.

As he adds, this means fulfilling what was defined in the agreement in Brussels 10 years ago, signed by Hashim Thaci and himself, with the mediation and guarantee of Catherine Ashton as the High EU Representative.

"I emphasize this especially because the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities is a precondition for the normalization of further relations and the normalization of the situation. I emphasize this because of the constant incursions of the Albanian police in northern Kosovo where only the Serbs live, without informing KFOR, in complete contradiction to all the agreements we reached in 2013, and such actions, of course, cause constant instability in Kosovo and Metohija", Dacic said.