Serbian PM addresses UN Security Council

NEW YORK Serbian PM Ivica Dacic has said that Belgrade is ready for a dialogue with Pristina but that both sides need to show a will to compromise. The UN Security Council session on Kosovo started on Tuesday. Members will discuss UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's latest regular quarterly report on Kosovo. Serbian PM addresses UN Security Council “Belgrade cannot give all the time and Pristina cannot take all the time. Such approach will never lead to a legitimate and sustainable agreement because it is not based on a deal but on impositions,” he stressed at the UN Security Council session. He stressed that Belgrade was ready to have a dialogue on a high level. “The new Serbian government is planning on implementing all the agreements that have been reached so far and on insisting that Pristina does the same. Even though the technical dialogue should be continued, it is not enough. Serbia is ready for a high-level dialogue. Negotiations on any unresolved issue cannot be avoided,” Dacic stressed. He pointed out that Serbia remained committed to the process that would finally lead to permanent peace between Serbs and Albanians, adding that the technical talks were a part of those efforts. The Serbian PM noted that Serbia “will never, under any circumstance, implicitly or explicitly, recognized the independence that was unilaterally declared by the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo” because “it was not a result of mutual consent”. “Our country will forever be united on this key issue,” Dacic stressed. According to him, Serbia intends to continue to defend its constitutional order with peaceful means it has at its disposal as a democratic country and a UN member. The prime minister stressed, however, that “both sides need to show a political will to make a compromise”. He also added that the Serbian citizens had chosen a “new government whose priorities are peace, security and stability” in the region. “My government is ready to make an effort in good faith on all levels in order to reach a mutually acceptable, comprehensive solution for Kosovo’s final status,” Dacic stressed. He said that Kosovo would remain Serbia’s priority but that “we are ready to reach a solution through the dialogue”. The PM added that a part of the problem was a lack of the international consensus on Kosovo. The meeting is also attended by Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic. In his latest report, the UN secretary general said that the situation in Kosovo was generally peaceful but still frail, expressing his concern over the incidents that took place during the celebration St. Vitus Day, an Orthodox Christian holiday, in June. Ban termed positive Serbia's efforts to clarify the fate of missing persons, after remains of nine persons were found and one person was found to be alive and living abroad. He added, however, that there were still 1,774 persons missing. He praised all the concrete results from the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue but also pointed to problems in the implementation of some the agreements. As part of his Balkan tour, the UN secretary general visited Belgrade and Pristina on July 23 and 24 respectively, stressing the importance of the talks and of reaching solutions through compromise. Media in Kosovo said earlier that the UN Security Council session in New York would also be attended by Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. Ivica Dacic is seen at the UNSC session Tanjug

Serbian PM addresses UN Security Council

“Belgrade cannot give all the time and Priština cannot take all the time. Such approach will never lead to a legitimate and sustainable agreement because it is not based on a deal but on impositions,” he stressed at the UN Security Council session.

He stressed that Belgrade was ready to have a dialogue on a high level.

“The new Serbian government is planning on implementing all the agreements that have been reached so far and on insisting that Priština does the same. Even though the technical dialogue should be continued, it is not enough. Serbia is ready for a high-level dialogue. Negotiations on any unresolved issue cannot be avoided,” Dačić stressed.

He pointed out that Serbia remained committed to the process that would finally lead to permanent peace between Serbs and Albanians, adding that the technical talks were a part of those efforts.

The Serbian PM noted that Serbia “will never, under any circumstance, implicitly or explicitly, recognized the independence that was unilaterally declared by the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo” because “it was not a result of mutual consent”.

“Our country will forever be united on this key issue,” Dačić stressed.

According to him, Serbia intends to continue to defend its constitutional order with peaceful means it has at its disposal as a democratic country and a UN member.

The prime minister stressed, however, that “both sides need to show a political will to make a compromise”.

He also added that the Serbian citizens had chosen a “new government whose priorities are peace, security and stability” in the region.

“My government is ready to make an effort in good faith on all levels in order to reach a mutually acceptable, comprehensive solution for Kosovo’s final status,” Dačić stressed.

He said that Kosovo would remain Serbia’s priority but that “we are ready to reach a solution through the dialogue”.

The PM added that a part of the problem was a lack of the international consensus on Kosovo.

The meeting is also attended by Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkić.

In his latest report, the UN secretary general said that the situation in Kosovo was generally peaceful but still frail, expressing his concern over the incidents that took place during the celebration St. Vitus Day, an Orthodox Christian holiday, in June.

Ban termed positive Serbia's efforts to clarify the fate of missing persons, after remains of nine persons were found and one person was found to be alive and living abroad. He added, however, that there were still 1,774 persons missing.

He praised all the concrete results from the Belgrade-Priština dialogue but also pointed to problems in the implementation of some the agreements.

As part of his Balkan tour, the UN secretary general visited Belgrade and Priština on July 23 and 24 respectively, stressing the importance of the talks and of reaching solutions through compromise.

Media in Kosovo said earlier that the UN Security Council session in New York would also be attended by Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.