"Only status-neutral engagement of CoE in Kosovo acceptable"
A status-neutral engagement by the Council of Europe (CoE) in Kosovo, including respect for UNSC Resolution 1244, is the only acceptable for Serbia.
Wednesday, 18.05.2016.
12:56
"Only status-neutral engagement of CoE in Kosovo acceptable"
"We expect that the CoE will continue to respect its principled position consistently," Dacic said addressing the 126th Council of Europe ministerial meeting."There is no doubt that tolerance and solidarity in Europe have been put to a major test in many respects, and that they are both essential in overcoming the difficulties facing Europe. Our experiences on the national as well as regional levels prompt us to refer to the principles of constructive cooperation and tolerance, with the aim of reaching higher goals on which we will all agree," he said, as quoted by the Serbian government, and added:
"In this spirit, I would like to recall the constructiveness demonstrated by Serbia in accepting the interaction between the Council of Europe and the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Kosovo and Metohija, in their functional capacity."
"The higher goal in this particular case is our conviction that Council of Europe activities in Kosovo should be continued in order to ensure effective implementation of the principles and standards in the fields of democracy, protection of human and minority rights, the rule of law as well as cultural heritage. At the same time, status neutral Council of Europe engagement in Kosovo while respecting UNSC Resolution 1244 is the only acceptable engagement to us, and we expect the Organization to continue to consistently honor this principled position," Dacic said.
He also described the current migrant crisis as "an unprecedented challenge for Europe and a sort of test of political solidarity and preservation of stability," and noted that Serbia was and remains "under the attack of the huge wave of migration."
"This is a great burden for my country which has already had the vast and painful experience with refugees and internally displaced persons. We believe that the migrant crisis requires a resolved and, above all, unified and coordinated response of all European countries," the minister said, and added:
"Concurrently, Serbia has been investing significant efforts to address the problem in the most humane manner, by providing adequate care, temporary shelter and access to information on asylum procedures. Particular attention has been devoted to vulnerable population groups, especially children, to the effect of protecting them from abuse and the potential threat of organized crime, including psycho-social support in cooperation with UNICEF and the Danish Refugee Council."
As for the Third Report by the Council of Europe Secretary General on the state of democracy, human rights, the rule of law and the challenges facing Europe today, Serbia "shares the common concern about the problems highlighted in the report."
"Terrorism, the migration crisis, instability and conflicts in some parts of our continent, including the economic crisis, all pose a kind of a threat to the core values that the Council of Europe is supposed to safeguard. We strongly believe that the only effective answer lies in joint action by all members," Dacic said.
According to him, Council of Europe activities aimed at combating terrorism "could be successful in the long run, as they focus on the root causes and generators of this global scourge."
"Legal frameworks, education, Internet and other important areas are spheres where member states should be determined to incorporate and intensify Council of Europe standards, and implement them with even greater resolve," the Serbian minister told the meeting.
Dacic also pointed out that Serbia "believes that any Council of Europe involvement in politically unstable or crisis situations should be based on the consensus of all member states."
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