Dacic with Rouamba: Withdrawal of recognition of Kosovo by Burkina Faso is very important

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic expressed gratitude to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation, and the Diaspora of Burkina Faso, Olivia Ragnaghnewende Rouamba, for the support of Serbia's territorial integrity, which, as he stated, is of exceptional importance, considering that the country has withdrawn recognition of Kosovo's independence. According to the statement, the two countries share a traditional friendship that needs to be strengthened through joint efforts, especially in the light of 55 years of diplomatic relations between the two states.

Minister Dacic emphasized Serbia's commitment to maintaining stability in the region, which is a fundamental and unchanged principle of its foreign policy. He added that Burkina Faso withdrew recognition of Kosovo's independence in January.

"In January of this year, Burkina Faso withdrew its decision to recognize the so-called Kosovo, stating that they respect the territorial integrity of Serbia. For us, this is a very important issue; 28 countries have withdrawn recognition of Kosovo. It is important for us so that Kosovo cannot become a UN member through a vote in the UN General Assembly, effectively undermining any dialogue. Considering all this, 11 years since the existence of this coalition with Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian Progressive Party, we have managed to return this issue to positions that suit Serbia. This means that if Kosovo were to apply to become a UN member, it would not be able to receive more than 80 votes out of 193 UN member states. For us, that would be significant. Of course, we have explained what that means, that it concerns territorial integrity, which is an important issue for Burkina Faso. We wanted them to understand that this involves a drastic violation of Serbia's territorial integrity, contrary to all legal norms. However, we do not want to reduce our relations only to the issue of Kosovo; we want to have strategic relations with Burkina Faso and several other African countries because we have common interests. For years, we have been victims of double standards in international relations, and we want to seek common interests in various areas," Dacic stated.

The head of Burkina Faso's diplomacy informed Dacic about the situation faced by the citizens of her country, emphasizing that a prerequisite for the country's development is the security of citizens and the region.

"You know that since 2015, Burkina Faso has been facing a terrible phenomenon, terrorism, which challenges families and the army and has unfolded in a perfidious manner. It cannot withstand our army; it involves infiltration, manipulation. Thanks to our defense forces, we will stand firm. When Ibrahim Traore came to power, he set four priorities for himself. The first is the fight against terrorism, the restoration of Burkina Faso's territorial integrity. When you talk about the issue of the territorial integrity of your country, we understand that because it is our priority. Sovereignty, whether political or territorial, is not negotiable. Burkina Faso does not want to yield, whether it is about one square meter of any country. We cannot but support countries in such dynamics, in the desire to preserve their territorial integrity," Minister Rouamba conveyed.