PM to travel to Russia, Kosovo did not join SEECP

PM to travel to Russia, Kosovo did not join SEECP

"Our goal is EU membership, but also to foster and develop our relations with countries that have been traditionally friendly to us and with which we share a common interest, and Russia is definitely a country we have a common interest with," Dačić told a news conference.

He specified that Vučić would go on a working visit to Moscow.

Dačić noted that Serbian officials should be "meeting with many other countries," adding that "we also need a meeting (U.S. President Barack) Obama," as well as "English officials."

"It is important to us that Brussels, Washington and Moscow all think well of us," he explained.

During the same news conference, he denied claims that Kosovo had become a full-fledged member of the South-East Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP).

"It was agreed for Kosovo to take part in the work of this initiative with a view to strengthen stability in the region," Dačić was quoted as saying.

"Kosovo was not accepted as a member of SEECP, the matter of Kosovo's membership (in this initiative) was avoided," Dačić stressed

He emphasized that Serbia would prevent Kosovo's membership in all organizations where this is possible, "unless it is in line with the Brussels agreement."

"We have no reason to interfere with Kosovo's participation under the conditions defined in Brussels, and wherever the name of Kosovo is marked with an asterisk, it is acceptable for Serbia as a part of the Brussels agreement," said Dačić.

He added that Serbia has been "under pressure for years to allow Kosovo's membership in regional organizations and initiatives."

During the news conference, the foreign minister also addressed the latest revelations concerning the NSA spying worldwide, to say this was "not good practice," but that his country was "powerless."

"Past, and future"

It is in the interest of Serbia and Croatia to look for solution to the problems from the past, Ivica Dačić stated on Wednesday, commenting on Croatian President Ivo Josipović's recent statement that the two countries' relations "are marked by a technical vacuum."

Dačić said that the statement concerned "various working bodies set up during the mandate of the previous government and added that the actual progress these have made is not known yet."

“Our relations are regular in terms of communication between the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Croatian Foreign Ministry,” Dačić said.

"There are two different types of problems in the two countries' relations: the first one covers the issues left over from the past and the second one is connected to the issues that have to do with the future," he said.

Dačić noted that he will meet with Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić at the upcoming Croatia Forum in Dubrovnik on July 10-12, "which is an opportunity for talks on bilateral relations."

Dačić announced that Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić would take part in the work of the meeting.

“I am not asking, nor are we demanding that strong emotional bonds need to be formed on either of the two sides; we are only looking for a joint interest if there is any, and Serbia will head the search for a common language to ensure mutual respect in the region,” Dačić said.

Speaking about his country's relations with Serbia, Josipović said that the two countries "managed to find enough strength and reason to finally place bilateral relations in a rational context."

“I do not think that difficult matters need to be kept quiet and I believe that the truth does matter. But still, the talk on difficult matters must not be an obstacle for a dialogue on development of relations,” the Croatian president said.

He noted that these relations were marked by "a technical vacuum because the meetings in a series of bilateral commissions in charge of missing persons, border problems and other important sensitive matters are organised rarely or not at all."