Djuric: I will never give up the fight for our people and Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija

Serbia’s struggle for Kosovo is continuous, and the connection between Serbia and the Serbian people with Kosovo is inseparable regardless of legal statuses and political circumstances in certain periods, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said today, emphasizing that claims that he or the ministry he heads are asking others who want to do so – not to fight for Kosovo – are disinformation.

Regarding claims circulating on social media that Serbia asked Russia not to raise the issue of Kosovo at the United Nations Security Council, Djuric told TV Prva that these were disinformation.

“In the era of social media, anyone can tendentiously spread information claiming that I or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, instead of fighting for Kosovo and Metohija, are even asking others who want to – not to fight. It is very difficult to refute such disinformation on a daily basis. I try to refute it through our work. I strive for every diplomatic-consular office or mission to be a small office for Kosovo and Metohija, to have the latest information every day, and to convey to the world the truth about the pressures and suffering of our people, as well as the legal basis on which Serbia claims that international law was trampled in our case before others,” Djuric explained.

He emphasized that for him, after eight and a half years dealing with Kosovo, Kosovska Mitrovica, Strpce, Zvecan, Partes, and Gorazdevac are closer to his heart than other parts of the country.

“Our struggle for Kosovo and Metohija is continuous. I will never give up the fight for our people in Kosovo and Metohija, for Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija,” the minister stressed.
He also said that he is a “medium-term optimist” regarding Kosovo.

“If we succeed in strengthening our capacities, our economy, gaining new allies and avoiding being drawn into conflicts, I am convinced that in the medium and long term fate and history are on our side,” Djuric said.

He pointed out that values are also on Serbia’s side, because Serbs have had their church for 800 years, whose seat is in the Patriarchate of Pec.

“Ultimately, Kosovo and Metohija is not only a territorial issue, but the answer to the most important question – who we are. Many of us carry in our hearts and as an integral part of our personality a connection with Kosovo and Metohija that is inseparable, regardless of legal statuses and political circumstances in certain periods,” Minister Djuric stressed.

It is important that citizens consider geopolitical developments when planning travel

Speaking about the travel advisory “traffic light” published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Djuric said that the main goal in such circumstances is caring for people.

“Our main goal in these circumstances is caring for people, which is why we published and reminded citizens of the traffic light system that the ministry has been promoting since last year, so that citizens can properly plan their travel and minimize risk, that is, have updated information gathered from embassies together with the analytical team of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in cooperation with security services. The traffic light clearly shows which countries are safe to visit and which should be avoided,” Djuric explained, adding that other countries have similar systems.

He emphasized that it is very important for citizens to consider geopolitical developments when planning travel.

“For months, we have publicly warned people not to travel to countries affected by instability or to reconsider such travel. Now that the conflict has begun, our first priority is caring for people and their safe return from war-affected areas,” Djuric said.

He said that so far, nearly 2,500 people have returned from seven war-affected countries, and that more than 1,000 were brought back to Serbia with the help of the national airline Air Serbia.

“That work is still not finished. We had the first flight from the region to Serbia, carried out on the first day of the conflict, because Flydubai did not stop flying to Belgrade due to its relationship with Serbia. Today nine Flydubai flights have already been carried out,” Djuric pointed out.

He added that through wise decisions back in 2012, the Serbian national airline was transformed into the most successful airline in the region, which today can demonstrate care for people by being the first to bring citizens back from endangered countries free of charge in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Repatriation, he said, will continue in the coming days in accordance with needs and with Air Serbia flights.

Asked about criticism that Croatia was listed as an unsafe country for travel on the ministry’s traffic light system, he said the assessment is an objective measure formed on the basis of clearly established criteria and information from the network of diplomatic-consular missions, not political reasons.

“If at some point a country is marked red or orange, that is not a reflection of political relations. The same was the case with Croatia, it was not based on any political criterion. We want good relations with Croatia. In that case, our services assessed what was happening with certain events and the rhetoric used in certain periods. Certainly, in the coming period, this list, which is updated daily, will be revised. But we will not accept pressure for political reasons and remove certain countries from the list,” the minister said.

Serbia has not given up on full membership in the EU

Regarding the initiative of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on gradual accession to the European Union, the head of Serbian diplomacy said he supports such an approach.

“My opinion is that it is in Serbia’s interest to be at the table where decisions are made about European security, foreign policy, and the economy. For us as a region, it is important to create a zone of free movement of services, goods, capital, and people. For our economy, it is important that there are no border crossings, which is why I fully support the initiative for early accession to the Schengen Area and the EU single market,” he stressed.

He emphasized that Serbia has not given up on full membership in the European Union.

“We have not given up on full membership in the EU, nor do we want to be Puerto Rico, which is a beautifully developed island but has no voting rights in the US Congress. We do not want to be such a territory on the outskirts of Europe, but a full member. However, we want to realistically assess the situation, not wait for decades, but open the borders immediately and become part of the open market. That shows our care for people,” Djuric said, adding that in this way the country might achieve EU membership faster.

He stressed that Serbia has a principled position on conflicts and advocates peace and respect for international norms.

“We are not afraid of the word peace, whether it concerns the conflict in Eastern Europe or the Middle East. In the medium term, that will place Serbia among potential host countries for possible talks on resolving some problems,” Djuric said.

He pointed out that a gathering being held in Belgrade today will significantly contribute to the country’s image and repositioning on the global map.

“Belgrade is today hosting the preparatory meeting for Expo 2027 Belgrade, attended by 450 delegates from 138 countries around the world,” he said.

Expo, which he said many see as an ordinary fair event, is much more than that because it represents an event that repositions Serbia on the global map.

“That event shows that Serbia is a country of opportunity, bringing the world together around themes of sport, play, development, and economic progress. Expo represents a huge opportunity to improve the image of our country,” Minister Djuric stressed.