Djuric with Shin: Serbia attaches great importance to the work of the UN; growing pressure on Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric met with Milbert Dongjoon Shin, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Acting Head of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

According to a statement from the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Djuric emphasized that the United Nations is the most important international organization when it comes to preserving the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia, stressing that Serbia attaches exceptional importance to the UN’s activities.

“He underlined the need for the Mission to continue fully implementing its mandate in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which represents the fundamental legal framework for preserving peace and stability in our southern province,” the statement said.

In view of the upcoming UN Security Council session dedicated to UNMIK’s work, Djuric stressed that for Serbia it is particularly important to maintain the continuity and frequency of these sessions in an open format, so that the international community is objectively informed about the situation on the ground and the challenges faced by the Serbian population in Kosovo.

“Djuric provided his interlocutor with a detailed overview of the current situation in the province, pointing to the increasing pressure on the Serbian community and the systematic persecution of Serbs. He emphasized that continuous attacks and measures targeting the health, education, and judicial systems in northern Kosovo and Metohija, as well as Pristina’s lack of political will to fulfill its obligations under the Brussels Agreement, send a clear political message and reflect the intent to make life even harder for the Serbian people,” the statement continued.

Djuric also reminded that the Community of Serb Municipalities has not been established even twelve years after the agreement was reached, and that officials in Pristina have repeatedly and publicly stated that they do not intend to do so, which, the ministry noted, represents a serious violation of the agreements reached under the Brussels process.

“Minister Djuric pointed out that the upcoming local elections scheduled for October 12 are of crucial importance for the survival of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, stressing that participation in the elections represents an opportunity for Serbs in the north of the province to regain institutional control in Serb-majority municipalities. He assessed that the presence of the UN Mission is essential for maintaining peace, stability, and the protection of basic human rights, and emphasized that it is necessary for the United Nations to respond decisively to the numerous incidents, provocations, and unilateral actions of Pristina’s provisional self-government institutions,” the statement concluded.