Selaković: UN is the most important international organisation for Serbia, and we are fiercely fighting to protect our interests

20. Sep 2022.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selaković stated that the United Nations were, without a doubt, the most important international organisation for Serbia, in terms of the protection of its vital state interests and national interests and its fight for the resolution of its priority state and national matter, that of Kosovo and Metohija.

Speaking from New York, Minister Selaković said for Television Pink that this was the reason why the United Nations were of utmost importance for Serbia.

Minister Selaković said that Serbia’s position in the United Nations had been a complex one over the last three decades, and that it was really about maintaining, improving and strengthening good relations with each of the countries that comprised the UN.

“Our policy concerning withdrawals of recognitions of the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called Kosovo by certain countries shows how fiercely we have been fighting to protect our interests, as we will continue to do”, said Minister Selaković.

He emphasised that he had met with 20 Ministers of Foreign Affairs the previous day in New York, that he had had 27 ministerial meetings over the course of five days in 2021, and that President Vučić was swamped with requests for meetings during the session of the UN General Assembly.

This, added Minister Selaković. reflected the reputation of Serbia and President Vučić and the respect they commanded.

“I also expect a large number of meetings today, which is good for Serbia and the promotion of our interests. We are a country which has inherited large and serious problems, which have grown over the decades. We have been talking about the issue of territorial integrity and sovereignty for over two decades, but a part of the world has only now awakened and realised how important that principle is”, said Minister Selaković.

Minister Selaković stated that, unlike the previous year, when the UN General Assembly had been in a hybrid format, and many of his counterparts were not present in New York, every single country was now represented in the Assembly.

“Our mission as Serbian diplomats is to make strong efforts to promote, affirm and protect Serbian interests, to strengthen our relations with the traditionally friendly countries, and establish new partnerships and friendships with countries with which we had not had this kind of communication for decades, and there are certainly such countries. Yesterday I met with Ministers which no Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs had seen for literally 25 to 30 years”, said Minister Selaković.

Minister Selaković emphasised that this was why it was essential to have an opportunity to make such contacts on the margins of the UN General Assembly, and later operationalise them through bilateral and working visits and achievement of mutually beneficial agreements and business relations between the countries.

“This is the way to strength bilateral international relations nowadays. In the late 20th century, and in particular in the early 21st century, economic relations and economic diplomacy have served as the basis for strengthening political relations between countries”, said Minister Selaković.

Minister Selaković stated that his plan had been to have nine meetings over the course of the previous day, but that he ended up having 20 of them instead.

“According to the plan, I was to have a total of 47 meetings with Ministers of Foreign Affairs over the course of five days. We will try to make that number as high as possible”, said Minister Selaković.