Milivojevic: The derecognition shows that Kosovo's statehood has not been confirmed

Serbia is not giving up on Kosovo, and that is why the recognition campaign coincides with Belgrade's long-term goals and it will continue in the future, says career diplomat Zoran Milivojevic for Kosovo Online.

As revealed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, "the list of countries that have withdrawn the recognition of Kosovo is getting longer and in Belgrade's "drawer" there is another country that has withdrawn the recognition of independence. It is the total 10th country that recently changed its decision so that currently out of 193 UN members - 105 do not recognize Kosovo".

Milivojevic states that "Belgrade temporarily stopped that campaign respecting the Washington Agreement, while the Pristina side did not play it, so the recognition campaign continued".

"We will stick to that strategy because we are not giving up on Kosovo. We are not publishing the list of countries that have now withdrawn their recognition in order not to put them in trouble, but when it is judged that the moment is right in communication with those countries, we will publish that list. Another thing, which is very important, it is one of the arguments in challenging Kosovo's statehood, which has not been confirmed for 14-15 years, and it is clear to everyone that it is disputed in terms of international law as well as resolution 1244. That their statehood does not work has been shown by recent events because Pristina does not have sovereignty over the north of Kosovo and that is proof that such a system is unsustainable," Milivojevic says.

As the Serbian diplomat points out, "this recognition, where countries are changing their position from before, shows that Kosovo's statehood has not been confirmed".

"This has profound, significant geostrategic consequences for the interests of Serbia. The increase in the number of countries that do not recognize Kosovo helps us in preventing access to Kosovo by various international organizations such as Interpol, UNESCO and ultimately the UN. Even with these organizations that have now applied such as the CE and the EU, it is important to point out that the political environment is changing, and it is slowly becoming clear to the countries that have recognized Kosovo that their statehood is unsustainable. It is important to continue with this policy because Serbia shows that it will never be absent from Kosovo and Metohija".