Pantic Pilja: More and more countries that have recognized Kosovo are supporting Serbia

Head of the Serbian delegation to the Council of Europe, Biljana Pantic Pilja, stated that Serbia has a clear policy and goals regarding Kosovo, and that an increasing number of countries that have recognized Kosovo’s independence are now supporting Belgrade in upholding international law.

"Our goal is clear: to show how the Serbian people live in Kosovo and Metohija, to preserve our territorial integrity and sovereignty, and to uphold international law. These are our strengths, and we try to explain to everyone that every country should respect international law. That is how we approach negotiations and discussions," Pantic Pilja told Kosovo Online.

She emphasized that despite Pristina’s strong allies, Belgrade also has its own partners with whom it holds daily discussions.

"We have many friends and many countries that did recognize Kosovo, but they see that we are right and provide us with the support they can in such negotiations and talks," Pantic Pilja noted.

She said that certain countries support Kosovo out of "their own interests," but that Serbia is working to prevent that.

"And real efforts are being made. We have good diplomatic contacts, and we have demonstrated that even now. Look at how long the process of Kosovo and Metohija joining the Council of Europe has been going on. It has been stalled. That is part of the diplomatic struggle," she stated.

She added that Serbia, alongside its existing allies, is trying to expand its "network of friendly countries."

"We are trying to expand that network of friendly countries that will understand that what we are demanding is simply the respect of international law," she clarified.

Pantic Pilja pointed out that, despite the absurd situation where the EU is officially status-neutral while most of its members recognize Kosovo, the Serbian delegation is working to present its arguments within the Council of Europe.

"It is absurd. And when we call on them to respect the UN resolution, which is binding for all, they say: 'Well, we are the Council of Europe, we are a separate organization.' But it’s up to us to present the arguments, to say that the Council of Europe is an organization where only states can be members, and that the status of Kosovo and Metohija is clearly defined by that same UN resolution. And to point out that human and minority rights must be respected – something that is not happening in Kosovo and Metohija. They are not honoring the Brussels Agreement, and the Association of Serb Municipalities is still pending... When you have such arguments, it is easier to talk to MPs and diplomats from other countries," Pantic Pilja said.

She added that in recent years, there have been several withdrawals of recognition of Kosovo, which showed that representatives of those countries had not fully understood the issue.

"It turned out that these were countries that didn’t even know what they were recognizing. It’s our job to engage in dialogue, to fight diplomatically and explain what lies behind it all, to make them understand that it’s a Pandora’s box when you recognize someone’s territory as a sovereign state. That logic can then be applied to Ukraine, Cyprus, and other countries... it poses a threat to the entire world. Those are the arguments we present. I expect there will be more withdrawals of recognition, and we are working on that. It’s up to us to use all our arguments in that direction," Pantic Pilja emphasized.