Jeremić to UN: Prevent this cowardly act

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic yesterday in New York addressed a UN Security Council Kosovo session. The meeting, taking place behind closed doors, was called with the support from Russia, ahead of what Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leadership is announcing as the declaration of the province's independence. Jeremic to UN: Prevent this cowardly act However, both Belgrade and Moscow reject this unilateral step as illegal. In an emotional speech to the UN Security Council ambassadors Thursday, Jeremic said "Kosovo will be ours until the end, Kosovo will remain a part of Serbia forever." "Let me be very clear. The Republic of Serbia shall never accept any violation of its territorial integrity. We shall never recognize Kosovo’s independence. We shall not waiver, we shall not yield, should this cowardly act proceed unchecked. Not now. Not in a year. Not in a decade. Never. For Kosovo and Metohija shall remain a part of Serbia forever," Jeremic said. He invited all council members and all UN member-countries to continue to observe Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity at this time of crisis. "We are telling you with all our certainty and moral force of united people - Serbia will never forget," Jeremic said. "The preservation of integrity and freedom of Serbia integrated in Europe and the world is the foundation of our national interest. This will not change. We have made our choice. It is now time for the Security Council and member-countries to choose - to decide whether they will join us in the defense of principles which we all deeply observe," the minister said. He said that this very issue was before the Security Council - whether to destroy or preserve the inviolable character of basic solidarity among the sovereign states, the common denominator of the international community. The Serbian government and parliament will nullify the decision of Pristina authorities and will take all diplomatic, political and economic measures to prevent and reverse this direct and unprovoked attack on Serbia's sovereignty, Jeremic also. Serbia will not, however, resort to the use of force, he emphasized. After the meeting, he told reporters at the UN headquarters that "most UN Security Member states have supported Belgrade's calls for continued status talks, since they believe that complicated problems can only be solved in peaceful negotiations." The full text of the foreign minister's speech at the UN is available here. But the Western countries, headed by the U.S., said after the meeting that it changed nothing in relation to the ongoing Kosovo status settlement crisis. As for Russia's permanent representative at the UN, Vitaly Churkin, he said the "presence of representatives of more than 50 countries at the ouncil session on Kosovo is a sufficient response to those who believe that Kosovo is a unique case.", Churkin added that the "Kosovo precedent might cause a painful reaction in different parts of the planet." Asked how the Russian delegation to the UN Security Council would act if Kosovo authorities unilaterally declared the independence of Serbia's southern province, Churkin said that he was "waiting for instructions from Moscow," Itar-Tass reported from the United Nations. Churkin said that the supporters of independence of Kosovo – the United States and EU members – "remained in the political minority at the UN Security Council." "It turned out that their policy has no support whatsoever at the UN Security Council," Churkin told Russian reporters.

Jeremić to UN: Prevent this cowardly act

However, both Belgrade and Moscow reject this unilateral step as illegal.

In an emotional speech to the UN Security Council ambassadors Thursday, Jeremić said "Kosovo will be ours until the end, Kosovo will remain a part of Serbia forever."

"Let me be very clear. The Republic of Serbia shall never accept any violation of its territorial integrity. We shall never recognize Kosovo’s independence. We shall not waiver, we shall not yield, should this cowardly act proceed unchecked. Not now. Not in a year. Not in a decade. Never. For Kosovo and Metohija shall remain a part of Serbia forever," Jeremić said.

He invited all council members and all UN member-countries to continue to observe Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity at this time of crisis.

"We are telling you with all our certainty and moral force of united people - Serbia will never forget," Jeremić said.

"The preservation of integrity and freedom of Serbia integrated in Europe and the world is the foundation of our national interest. This will not change. We have made our choice. It is now time for the Security Council and member-countries to choose - to decide whether they will join us in the defense of principles which we all deeply observe," the minister said.

He said that this very issue was before the Security Council - whether to destroy or preserve the inviolable character of basic solidarity among the sovereign states, the common denominator of the international community.

The Serbian government and parliament will nullify the decision of Priština authorities and will take all diplomatic, political and economic measures to prevent and reverse this direct and unprovoked attack on Serbia's sovereignty, Jeremić also.

Serbia will not, however, resort to the use of force, he emphasized.

After the meeting, he told reporters at the UN headquarters that "most UN Security Member states have supported Belgrade's calls for continued status talks, since they believe that complicated problems can only be solved in peaceful negotiations."

The full text of the foreign minister's speech at the UN is available here.

But the Western countries, headed by the U.S., said after the meeting that it changed nothing in relation to the ongoing Kosovo status settlement crisis.

As for Russia's permanent representative at the UN, Vitaly Churkin, he said the "presence of representatives of more than 50 countries at the ouncil session on Kosovo is a sufficient response to those who believe that Kosovo is a unique case.",

Churkin added that the "Kosovo precedent might cause a painful reaction in different parts of the planet."

Asked how the Russian delegation to the UN Security Council would act if Kosovo authorities unilaterally declared the independence of Serbia's southern province, Churkin said that he was "waiting for instructions from Moscow," Itar-Tass reported from the United Nations.

Churkin said that the supporters of independence of Kosovo – the United States and EU members – "remained in the political minority at the UN Security Council."

"It turned out that their policy has no support whatsoever at the UN Security Council," Churkin told Russian reporters.