President sees "more reason for optimism" in Kosovo talks

President sees "more reason for optimism" in Kosovo talks

"We now have the support of UNESCO and it should be used also to start discussions on the topic related to that. So that nobody tells us we did not do everything we could, that we again fell silent until the day of the vote comes again," Nikolic stated, according to Tanjug.

The president also said that he thought "our neighbors had disgraced themselves" during the UNESCO vote, "because no country of the former Yugoslavia, as well as countries in the immediate region, were on our side, although Serbia in the previous period showed and proved to everyone in the world that it had become a friend of the former Yugoslav countries."

"That somebody does not want us as a friend, that's their problem. It is incomprehensible that Indonesia, the largest Muslim country, voted for Serbia while our neighbor countries did not," said Nikolic.

The Serbian president added that "those who sponsored Kosovo's membership in UNESCO were mistaken, as well those who, because of ideology or pressure, voted in favor." According to him, "they certainly would not have entered into this undertaking that carried the risk of divisions in UNESCO had they not been certain Kosovo would become a member."

"This is a big warning for them. And as they do not dare bring before the UN General Assembly the issue of (Kosovo's) membership in the UN, they should refrain from trying to join some other UN organizations," the president said.

He added that the vote showed the world "needs more understanding and conversation rather than simply showing up for a vote where the fate of Serbian heritage is voted on by people who may not even know where Serbia is."

Nikolic asked "what gave others the right to drag politics into UNESCO," and stated that "representatives of Pristina did not have any argument to join UNESCO that concerned culture or science."

According to the president the vote "indicated that Serbia in only a few years managed to build its reputation in the world so much that some states voted for us even though they were exposed to great pressure," and that "Serbia must not think that the war is lost."

Asked to comment on opinions that it was "Russia that won yesterday," Nikolic said that most of humankind stood with Serbia, and pointed out that in UNESCO, "a small island has the same vote as Russia."

The president said he was "proud of the fact we had the support not only of those countries that have not recognized Kosovo, but also, despite tremendous pressures, even of those that have recognized Kosovo."

"The pressure was terrible and people were nearly frantic from the pressure to squeeze Kosovo into UNESCO, and I'd say, squeeze Serbia out. Since Albanians would be guarding our holy sites and heritage in Kosovo, what would we brag about?," Nikolic said, according to Tanjug, and stressed that "Serbia's fight must not stop now."

According to him, those warning that "the empire will try to strike back" are right, and as are those advising caution - while he "advises work."

The president emphasized the positive role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the fight to preserve heritage in Kosovo, and added that his visit to the Vatican earlier this year "influenced the fact that Latin America joined with all its heart in the defense of Serbian heritage in Kosovo."

Nikolic said that if he were "one of the experts from Pristina," he would admit he "does not know how to guard Christian heritage, that he does not know the customs."

"If someone entrusted me with guarding a mosque, I would say - I'm sorry, let those who built it and pray in it take care of it. So my message to Pristina is don't take by force what belongs to others. What is taken by force is cursed. This time they have not become cursed, but they have deserved that name for a while," said Nikolic.