Pantic Pilja: Dangerous statements from Podgorica, support for Pristina is not the position of the entire government or people of Montenegro

Head of Serbia’s delegation to the Council of Europe, Biljana Pantic Pilja, assessed that the statement by Montenegrin Foreign Minister Ervin Ibrahimovic – that Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe is a foreign policy priority for Montenegro – is a "dangerous statement that undermines the sovereignty of a state" and does not contribute to regional cooperation. She expressed confidence that this is not the position of the entire Montenegrin government or its people, and that official Podgorica will help protect the Serbian community in Kosovo and implement the Brussels Agreement and UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

“That statement is indeed dangerous because it undermines the sovereignty of one country – Serbia. If they want good regional cooperation, they should refrain from such statements because we are a country that respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of every country in the world, and so we expect reciprocity, that they respect our territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Pantic Pilja told Kosovo Online.

She emphasized that even though Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe is not currently on the agenda, such statements from Montenegro are not helpful.

“First of all, because we are a friendly country, and Serbia is committed to dialogue and cooperation, especially regional cooperation. I believe this is not the position of the entire Government of Montenegro, and certainly not of the Montenegrin people,” she stressed.

Asked what could be the reason for such a statement by the Montenegrin Foreign Minister, Pantic Pilja reminded that there are always individuals who want to be “more Catholic than the Pope.”

“I truly think it is not good for our future cooperation and the survival of our regional cooperation to make such dangerous statements, especially considering that Montenegro, as a sovereign state, should respect international law, which is very clear and explicit,” Pantic Pilja said.

She reminded that UN Security Council Resolution 1244 is still in force, and that the Brussels Agreement was signed under the auspices of the EU.

“In good faith, I would urge the Government of Montenegro to focus on implementing the Brussels Agreement, where we have been waiting for 12 years for the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, which still has not happened,” Pantic Pilja.

She explained that Pristina’s failure to meet its obligations is a key reason why even countries that support Kosovo’s independence have halted the initiative for its admission to the Council of Europe.

“These great friends of Kurti have realized there is no talking with him,” she emphasized.

She underlined that the Council of Europe is an organization focused on the protection of human rights, and therefore it is necessary to pay much more attention to the protection of the rights of the Serbian community in Kosovo.

“And that is what we constantly emphasize in the Council of Europe. Because Kurti's regime is subtly working to create an exodus of the Serbian national minority from Kosovo and Metohija, and I call on Montenegro and its authorities, as a member of the Council of Europe, to focus on preserving the rights of the Serbian national minority in Kosovo and Metohija,” concluded Biljana Pantic Pilja, head of Serbia’s delegation to the Council of Europe.