FM expects “difficult” Security Council session

Serbian FM Vuk Jeremic expects the UN Security Council sitting to be exceptionally difficult, having in mind conflicting stands regarding presidential release. The draft presidential announcement has been filed by Russia. FM expects “difficult” Security Council session “Judging by the consultations about the draft presidential release filed by Russia, we can expect the UN Security Council sitting to be exceptionally difficult because it seems that stands of some important UN Security Council member countries are in sharp opposition, Jeremic told Tanjug ahead of the Monday session. However, he underscored that a considerable majority of UN Security Council members could be expected to back more or less the same stands as Serbia. The minister underscored that based on the meetings that took place over the past few days, he expected the majority of UN Security Council members to take Serbia's stand, while the question as to whether the presidential release would be adopted should be resolved at the very session because the adoption of the document requires a consensus which is currently lacking. “We will continue doing all we can in order to achieve the consensus,” the foreign minister said. During the consultations, he added, officials concluded that Serbia's stand would be backed by China, Brazil, India, South Africa, Lebanon and Gabon. He specified that Russia filed the draft presidential release which condemning Pristina over its decision to resort to force and calls for restoring the situation to its previous state, that is, before the beginning of the violent intervention. The draft release also calls on all international missions in Kosovo, including KFOR and EULEX, to behave strictly in keeping with their mandate as envisaged in UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Jeremic expressed belief that it was extremely important for the UNSC session to send a clear message to everyone who believed problems in Kosovo could be solved by force that this was unacceptable and that solutions could be found through dialogue only. He stressed that one of the topics the UN Security Council would discuss on Monday would refer to the investigation into human organ trafficking in Kosovo, adding that nothing has been done so far in this area although almost 10 months have passed since the adoption of the report authored by Council of Europe Special Rapporteur Dick Marty. “We believe it would be unacceptable for competent bodies not to launch an adequate investigation into this case, which comprises charges regarding monstrous violation of human rights,” Jeremic pointed out and added that blocking the investigation would imply a blatant use of double standards in the approach to war crimes. He noted that he did not expect UN Security Council members to vote during the Monday sitting on the draft Serbian resolution which envisages that the investigation into illegal human organ trafficking should be conducted under UN mandate. “However, this matter must be voted on soon, or before the end of the year at any cost,” Jeremic said and added that by the end of the year, the UN Security Council would have to state its stand clearly and finally establish who is in charge of conducting the investigation. Vuk Jeremic

FM expects “difficult” Security Council session

“Judging by the consultations about the draft presidential release filed by Russia, we can expect the UN Security Council sitting to be exceptionally difficult because it seems that stands of some important UN Security Council member countries are in sharp opposition, Jeremić told Tanjug ahead of the Monday session.

However, he underscored that a considerable majority of UN Security Council members could be expected to back more or less the same stands as Serbia.

The minister underscored that based on the meetings that took place over the past few days, he expected the majority of UN Security Council members to take Serbia's stand, while the question as to whether the presidential release would be adopted should be resolved at the very session because the adoption of the document requires a consensus which is currently lacking.

“We will continue doing all we can in order to achieve the consensus,” the foreign minister said.

During the consultations, he added, officials concluded that Serbia's stand would be backed by China, Brazil, India, South Africa, Lebanon and Gabon.

He specified that Russia filed the draft presidential release which condemning Priština over its decision to resort to force and calls for restoring the situation to its previous state, that is, before the beginning of the violent intervention.

The draft release also calls on all international missions in Kosovo, including KFOR and EULEX, to behave strictly in keeping with their mandate as envisaged in UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

Jeremić expressed belief that it was extremely important for the UNSC session to send a clear message to everyone who believed problems in Kosovo could be solved by force that this was unacceptable and that solutions could be found through dialogue only.

He stressed that one of the topics the UN Security Council would discuss on Monday would refer to the investigation into human organ trafficking in Kosovo, adding that nothing has been done so far in this area although almost 10 months have passed since the adoption of the report authored by Council of Europe Special Rapporteur Dick Marty.

“We believe it would be unacceptable for competent bodies not to launch an adequate investigation into this case, which comprises charges regarding monstrous violation of human rights,” Jeremić pointed out and added that blocking the investigation would imply a blatant use of double standards in the approach to war crimes.

He noted that he did not expect UN Security Council members to vote during the Monday sitting on the draft Serbian resolution which envisages that the investigation into illegal human organ trafficking should be conducted under UN mandate.

“However, this matter must be voted on soon, or before the end of the year at any cost,” Jeremić said and added that by the end of the year, the UN Security Council would have to state its stand clearly and finally establish who is in charge of conducting the investigation.