Djuric with Babity: Alarming situation in Kosovo and Metohija, fight against extermination

In today's conversation with the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, Janos Babity, Serbia's Foreign Minister Marko Djuric stated that the two-decade cooperation with the Council of Europe was good and that the support of this organization was significant in implementing reforms in the fields of the rule of law, human rights, and democracy.

According to Djuric, the burning political issue for Serbia is the Pristina regime's attempt to join the Council of Europe, reiterating his strong opposition to even considering such a request, which goes against all principles of international public law.

"The situation in Kosovo and Metohija is alarming, where the Serbian people, living in fear, face a daily and monthly struggle for bare survival, a fight against extermination, in unbearable conditions where not only their security but also their basic human and civil rights are endangered," Djuric pointed out.

Appealing for the necessity to protect the rights and freedoms of Serbs in Kosovo, Djuric added that the concerning state of affairs was further evidenced by the fact that over 14 percent of the remaining Serbs had left the territory in the past year alone.

The potential admission of Pristina, as the minister emphasized, would not only violate UN Security Council Resolution 1244, the Statute of the Council of Europe, but also the UN Charter, and as such, it would become a dangerous precedent with very likely negative consequences on a global scale.

Congratulating the Council of Europe on its 75th anniversary this year, Minister Djuric highlighted that the principles upon which the Council of Europe was built were important for Serbia and the entire region and that our country would continue to be a constructive partner in achieving common goals.