Serbia should be proud of Jeremić, UN chief says

BELGRADE UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says that the Serbian people should be proud of the fact that its outgoing FM Vuk Jeremic will preside over the UNGA. In talks with correspondents from the territories of the former Yugoslavia prior to his visit to the region, including Serbia, Ban said that up to now he had cooperated closely with Jeremic and that he was one of the foreign ministers of the UN member states with whom he had conferred most often. Serbia should be proud of Jeremic, UN chief says “The Serbian people should be proud of the fact that such a prominent figure will preside over the UN General Assembly. I had cooperated closely with him, we respect each other and I am looking forward a new chapter in our close cooperation as of September,” the UN secretary general said. He added that in his capacity as the UN General Assembly president Jeremic should act beyond the Serb issues and from the perspective of the UN agenda. When asked by a correspondent of the Kosovo TV to comment on Jeremic's statement that “Kosovo would become a UN member state only over his dead body“, Ban said that Jeremic had not delivered that statement in his capacity as the newly elected president of the UN General Assembly, but as an official of the Serbian government. “The UN membership is a matter that would be decided upon based on the recommendations of the Security Council and adopted by the General Assembly,” Ban explained. The UN Secretary General announced that he would visit six countries and Kosovo, but stressed that his visit to Kosovo would be in line with the UN SC Resolution 1244. Ban will tour the region from July 20-26. He starts his tour in Slovenia and ends in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Ban Ki-moon (FoNet, file) "Ban's visit is politically important" Serbian PM-Designate Ivica Dacic has stated that the upcoming visit of the UN head is of “top political importance” and that he expects Ban to act in accordance with the province’s status in the UN during his visit to Kosovo. “His obligation as a UN secretary general is to respect the status it (Kosovo) has in the UN, which means that Kosovo has not been recognized as an independent state by the UN,” he pointed out. “I expect him to act in accordance with it,” Dacic added. He explained that Ban’s visit was politically very important “regardless of the fact that there are moments that are not comfortable to us”. “It is very important for us that Serbia is represented as a state that has political stability and that it is one of the key factors of peace and stability in the region,” Dacic concluded. Beta Tanjug

Serbia should be proud of Jeremić, UN chief says

“The Serbian people should be proud of the fact that such a prominent figure will preside over the UN General Assembly. I had cooperated closely with him, we respect each other and I am looking forward a new chapter in our close cooperation as of September,” the UN secretary general said.

He added that in his capacity as the UN General Assembly president Jeremić should act beyond the Serb issues and from the perspective of the UN agenda.

When asked by a correspondent of the Kosovo TV to comment on Jeremić's statement that “Kosovo would become a UN member state only over his dead body“, Ban said that Jeremić had not delivered that statement in his capacity as the newly elected president of the UN General Assembly, but as an official of the Serbian government.

“The UN membership is a matter that would be decided upon based on the recommendations of the Security Council and adopted by the General Assembly,” Ban explained.

The UN Secretary General announced that he would visit six countries and Kosovo, but stressed that his visit to Kosovo would be in line with the UN SC Resolution 1244.

Ban will tour the region from July 20-26. He starts his tour in Slovenia and ends in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"Ban's visit is politically important"

Serbian PM-Designate Ivica Dačić has stated that the upcoming visit of the UN head is of “top political importance” and that he expects Ban to act in accordance with the province’s status in the UN during his visit to Kosovo.

“His obligation as a UN secretary general is to respect the status it (Kosovo) has in the UN, which means that Kosovo has not been recognized as an independent state by the UN,” he pointed out.

“I expect him to act in accordance with it,” Dačić added.

He explained that Ban’s visit was politically very important “regardless of the fact that there are moments that are not comfortable to us”.

“It is very important for us that Serbia is represented as a state that has political stability and that it is one of the key factors of peace and stability in the region,” Dačić concluded.