Dacic: There was no request for Kosovo's membership at the Interpol assembly

At the annual Interpol assembly in Glasgow, there was no request for Kosovo’s full membership in this international organization, stated Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, Ivica Dacic.

“Today, in Glasgow, the 92nd Interpol assembly began, one of the oldest international organizations in the world that brings together police forces. There are three important events at this assembly for Serbia. The first is that there is no request from Kosovo for full membership on the agenda. Every year we live in a certain fear, wondering whether Kosovo will, at the last minute, decide and, through some of its sponsors, apply for membership, as was the case at the assembly in Dubai. Since they lost that time, they understand that they have no chance of becoming members of Interpol, and they have not applied again since then,” said Dacic.

He emphasized that it is important every year to closely follow the adoption of the agenda, which was adopted today, and that it does not include the request that is most significant for Serbia—the request from Kosovo's authorities to become a member of Interpol.

He added that this is a crucial status issue for Serbia, concerning territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The second important point, he said, was the meeting with the new Secretary-General of Interpol, a representative of the Brazilian police, and the Minister of Security of that country, who is one of the most prominent figures in Brazil.
“For us, the role of the Secretary-General is of special significance, because he will oversee, in the coming period, this issue, which is the most painful and difficult for Serbia—the issue of Kosovo’s membership,” Dacic said.

He mentioned that he invited the new Secretary-General of Interpol to attend the conference of police directors from Southeast Europe, which Serbia is chairing, and it is possible that he will visit Serbia in December.

The third important point, as he added, was the meeting with the UK’s Home Secretary, during which they discussed several key topics, including readiness to sign a cooperation agreement in the fight against organized crime, particularly regarding illegal migration.

Dacic said that the signing of such an agreement can be expected very soon and added that Serbia is ready to sign agreements in other areas with all the specialized agencies and services within the UK’s Home Office, which covers a wide range of responsibilities.

He also expressed his expectation of her visit to Serbia, as well as visits from the heads of agencies for combating serious crime, and hopes that the successful cooperation, which began during his earlier tenure as Minister of Internal Affairs, will continue.

Dacic conveyed that the next annual Interpol assembly will be held in Morocco and noted that he had meetings with delegations from China, Turkey, Morocco, and Argentina.