Djuric and Berset discuss the position and concerns of Serbs in Kosovo

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric today drew the attention of Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset to the situation of the Serbian people in Kosovo and to concerns arising from actions by Pristina that call into question the functioning of the education and healthcare systems.

“I informed Mr. Berset and our colleagues from the Council of Europe about the position of our people in Kosovo and Metohija and about our concerns regarding the problems that have emerged due to the questioning of the functioning of the education and healthcare systems. I believe it is very important that the conduct of all parties with regard to the protection of fundamental rights be placed under scrutiny and, where necessary, be subject to both suggestions and criticism. We make no exception even for ourselves in this regard; we do not seek a different treatment than the one we expect to apply to others. In that sense, I am grateful to our interlocutors for patiently listening to what constitutes the state position of Serbia on this matter,” Djuric said at a joint press conference with Berset.

The minister emphasized that Serbia attaches great importance to the work of the Council of Europe and, as a member state, fully shares the organization’s fundamental commitments, principles, and goals—both regarding cooperation on the European continent and regarding values such as democracy, human rights, and the overall advancement of the rule of law and living conditions within the broader community.

Djuric noted that their meeting takes place at a specific moment when “the Middle East is on fire,” while the war on the eastern edges of Europe is entering its fifth year.

“I believe that today is the right moment for a message of peace to be sent from Belgrade. Serbia strongly supports the rule of international public law, the peaceful resolution of disputes within the international community, multilateralism, and the role of international organizations in overcoming contradictions in international relations, as well as serving as instruments of cooperation that should prevent conflicts,” the Serbian foreign minister emphasized, adding that Serbia welcomes the activities of the Council of Europe in that regard.

He also conveyed that the meeting included discussions about certain plans related to Serbia’s activities and diplomatic initiatives in the region, given that Serbia wishes to use this year to focus on strengthening stability and friendly, good-neighborly relations with all countries in its immediate surroundings, while also creating new opportunities for economic development and enhanced cooperation.

“That is much easier said than done. Difficult times sometimes require courageous moves, and for that reason I am pleased to represent a country that leads in initiatives for regional cooperation, as well as in concrete steps, which we could also see through the recent initiative by Aleksandar Vucic who, together with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, proposed that the entire region join different segments of European integration at an accelerated pace. That is what we aim to achieve,” Djuric said.

He noted that Serbia wants to turn the page on problems that emerged during the 1980s and 1990s and to ensure that the region focuses on the future.

“I firmly believe that our region is one of the potential pillars of growth and stability on our continent,” Djuric underlined.

He thanked Berset and the delegation of the Council of Europe for being in Belgrade and, as he said, for conducting a very broad range of meetings with representatives of political institutions and parties—both from the government and the opposition—as well as with representatives of civil society, in order to gain a comprehensive picture of the situation in Serbia.

“We are behind a difficult year in which political tensions were high. We are now in a year that, I am convinced, will be much better for Serbia—a year of internal consolidation and improved cooperation among different actors and segments of our society. However, we are always open to suggestions and ideas on how to further improve that process,” Djuric said.

Berset: We are interested in cooperating with everyone to improve the situation regarding Human Rights in Kosovo

Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset stated that the organization is interested in cooperating with all actors in order to improve the situation regarding respect for human rights in Kosovo.

“Thank you for presenting your views regarding Kosovo. As you know, Kosovo is not a member of the Council of Europe. We have discussions within the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, but we are always concerned when discussing issues related to the respect for human rights. We have offices in Pristina and Belgrade, and we are interested in cooperating with everyone to see what we can do to improve that situation,” Berset said.

He agreed that his visit to Belgrade is taking place at a specific moment due to the conflicts in the Middle East and added that common ground must be found among the positions of all Council of Europe member states.

“We have witnessed a major upheaval in the world over the past several decades, and we must be prepared if we want to defend freedom, the rule of law, and human rights. These are not merely slogans; they require concrete steps and actions. All elements related to international law, the implementation of international law, peaceful relations, and the protection of human rights are matters about which the Council of Europe is currently extremely concerned,” Berset said.

He also noted that he discussed the situation in the Western Balkans with Minister Djuric, adding that it is important for the Council of Europe that all actors work together and improve cooperation.

Berset listed that during his visit to Belgrade he held interesting discussions in the National Assembly of Serbia, with opposition parties, with the prime minister, with the speaker of parliament, with representatives of civil society, and with students.

“We discussed all issues, and this morning we had the opportunity to meet with various delegations and to reaffirm the strong cooperation that the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade maintains as we move together toward progress and toward accession to the European Union. We have certain programs to combat corruption, combat discrimination, and other areas in which we are working together, and we will continue in that direction,” Berset said.