Djuric: We cannot be satisfied with the international community's response to Kurti

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric stated that Serbia cannot be satisfied with the international community’s response to Albin Kurti but also that Belgrade is building a kind of new political bloc that is interested in cooperating with Serbia and does not take a one-sided view of Serbia's position.

During an appearance on Happy TV, Djuric also reflected on the recent UN General Assembly session.

"For Serbia, every EU member state is important. Seventy percent of our goods go to the EU. The phenomenal economic results we have achieved would not have been possible without good relations with EU countries. During an 18-day tour, I traveled from Estonia to Washington, and then to New York for the UN General Assembly. We had meetings with over 70 leaders worldwide. Some may find it strange that we maintain relations with Pacific countries, but look at what Kurti was doing... He couldn’t even enter the UN General Assembly hall. He was following closely everything the Serbian delegation was doing. When I met with the delegation from Vanuatu, there was Kurti chasing after them to meet with someone too. He couldn’t meet the Prime Minister, so he met someone lower in the delegation," Djuric said.

The Serbian Foreign Minister added that it was important that Serbia had signed ten important agreements on the sidelines of the UN.

"These include visa liberalization and agreements establishing diplomatic relations with several countries, including Guyana. These countries may seem distant to some, but they are important for our position, particularly in UNESCO. It is important for Serbia to treat all countries equally. We recognize the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries equally, and because of this, we have integrity and a reputation dating back to the Non-Aligned Movement," he said.

"We should not underestimate the propaganda activities of Kurti's regime"

Regarding Serbia's measures for Kosovo and what Kosovo Serbs can hope for, Djuric said he could never be satisfied with the position of Serbs in Kosovo under circumstances where neither payment transactions nor normal economic exchange function.

"We will see if anything changes regarding CEFTA, but I am skeptical. Today, President Vucic is in Hamburg and is expected to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. I was in Berlin four days ago and spoke with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. I had a productive meeting with Ms. Baerbock. We will work on improving relations with Germany; there is much that connects us. Regarding Kosovo and Metohija, our positions with Germany differ, but it is important to bring our positions closer. We should not underestimate the propaganda activities of Kurti's regime. We must fight against it. Serbia is a safe country and a destination for EXPO 2027. I call on all our citizens to spread the good word about Serbia worldwide," Djuric concluded.

When asked about the significance of the energy agreement signed with the United States, given the warming relations between Serbia and America, Djuric said that it is of strategic importance for Serbia to improve relations with the US.

"I invested a lot of time into this, and it was important to me that I could represent the Government of Serbia during the signing of the energy agreement with the US. We need access to high technologies and modern ways to develop our energy system. This is both a political and economic agreement. It elevates us in the eyes of the American political class," Djuric said.
When it comes to the international community's reaction to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Djuric said Belgrade cannot be satisfied.

"We always ask for more, and we cannot be satisfied with the international community’s reaction to Albin Kurti. We must continue building a critical mass of people who support our agreements. Regarding Kosovo, Claudia Tenney proposed a bill in Congress that would halt all aid to Pristina. A new political bloc is emerging that is interested in cooperating with Serbia and does not view Serbia's position in a one-sided manner. This is the result of long-term lobbying, something I worked on as ambassador in Washington," Djuric said.

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“We in Serbia are carefully analyzing and following this. Serbs in America have become active, which is very important. You are as visible as your community is. There are more than a million of us in America. There are 137 Serbian Orthodox parishes in America. People have organized," Djuric said.

As he added, Serbia’s economic position is also significant.

“If Serbia can present itself as a country that is rapidly developing and has officially received an investment-grade rating, it means we are a country with responsible fiscal and monetary policies, as well as responsible domestic and foreign policies. This is a kind of certification that Serbia is a stable investment destination. For us, this new identity card eases the fight to improve our image in the world. It is a huge success," Djuric emphasized.

Regarding the pressures on Serbia, he added that they are enormous.

“There are political centers outside our country that want Serbia to have a government that will be susceptible to accepting other people’s opinions. However, there are more and more reasonable people who say the world needs neutral countries. We stand on the side of international law. We respect the UN, and the territorial integrity of every country is important to us. How could we claim that Kosovo and Metohija must remain part of Serbia if we didn’t respect the territorial integrity of other countries?" Djuric stressed.

He added that the policy of independence is the most difficult policy.

"It is a policy that is most in the interest of Serbian citizens. The speeches of President Aleksandar Vucic reflect his courage, and in terms of viewership, they are among the top on UN channels. People like to listen to those who have something to say. Ultimately, it is a good source of information about the position of our people in Kosovo and Metohija. Many want to sweep under the rug and hide the suffering and truth about the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, about Pasjane, Klokot, about the Serbian boys who were shot on Christmas. About the 86 Serbian prisoners who are still imprisoned today, having been arrested under suspicious circumstances. If the President of Serbia didn’t raise his voice, no one in the world would hear about it," Djuric emphasized.