Jovanovic: None of the UN Resolution 1244 provisions that are in Serbia's favor have been implemented

After 24 years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, only the provisions that favor the Albanian side have been implemented, while Serbia has been deprived of its rights outlined in that document, diplomat Vladislav Jovanovic said in an interview with Kosovo Online.

Jovanovic added that the Western powers, through their support for the declaration of Kosovo's independence and a series of other actions, have sought to sideline Resolution 1244 without formally removing it.

"The provisions that favor the Albanian side were implemented urgently, such as allowing the entry of KLA units from neighboring countries into Kosovo even before the arrival of KFOR, which led to numerous crimes against Serbs. The return of Albanian refugees from Macedonia, Serbia, and Albania was permitted, while Serbs and Roma have not returned to this day because KFOR's obligation, as outlined in the Resolution, to ensure security for all, has not been fulfilled. Even a significant number of the two percent of Serbs who did return were forced to flee again due to pressure, which means that the most important provision of the Resolution has been violated," Jovanovic emphasized.

Jovanovic also highlighted that the special representatives of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo, starting with Bernard Kouchner, "acted against their mandate to implement Resolution 1244" at the behest of the United States.

"US Ambassador to the UN Richard Holbrooke told Kouchner over the phone not to abide by the Resolution but to work according to his own agenda, that is, in agreement with him, and the agreement was for him to quickly and energetically free Kosovo from all forms of Serbia's state and legal presence, which Kouchner did swiftly," Jovanovic recalled.

He added that the obligation to return 1,000 members of the Serbian army, police, and customs to Kosovo was avoided by leaving the decision to the KFOR commander.

"In other words, what is binding in the Resolution has in a way been transferred to the discretion of the KFOR commander, who has been given discretionary power as to when and if this will be realized at all," Jovanovic said.

Jovanovic noted that the "recognition of the illegally declared independence of Kosovo," sponsored by the West, is evidence that Resolution 1244 is being disregarded and sidelined.

"So, the practical stance of Western powers is to sideline the Resolution itself, without formal removal, to simply annul it with new events that put pressure on Serbia, urging it to accept the factual situation they have subsequently created in Kosovo and Metohija, facilitating the declaration of Kosovo's independence. Serbia is now expected to accept that and allow the entry of such a quasi-entity into the UN," Jovanovic said.

He added that this is impossible without the consent of Serbia, as well as Russia and China as permanent members of the UN Security Council, who will not agree to such a scenario.

UN Security Council Resolution 1244 was adopted on this day 24 years ago.