TANJUG – Ivica Dačić: Priština's request for EU membership is for internal political purposes

Asked about Priština's announcement that it would submit an application for membership in the so-called Kosovo in the EU today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić said that this required a consensus of the one "who is not in the EU" and that he therefore believed this was a political and marketing move intended for internal political use in Kosovo.

"I said a month ago that we were informed that Priština would submit an application for EU membership. We believe that such a move is bad in two ways. First, it is clear that there is no unique attitude regarding the status of Kosovo and Metohija, that is, five countries do not recognize Kosovo and Metohija. So far, it has not been recorded that anyone received a status of a candidate for membership without having the status issue resolved. Second, because it is impossible for anyone to think about this topic while there is an absolute non-adherence to all agreements by Priština" Ivica Dačić said.

Ivica Dačić stated that we considered almost impossible for anyone to accept the application under the current conditions when, he said, it was clear that Aljbin Kurti's behaviour represented one of the main destabilizing factors in the region.

"As is already now certain, this thing is going to happen tomorrow, with the delivery of the application to the Czech presidency," Ivica Dačić confirmed.

Ivica Dačić added that it depended on the Czech presidency how the European officials would further treat the application - whether it would enter some procedures or wait for the next president.

"It is not known yet, but I am certain from the conversations we had with the countries that do not recognize Kosovo and the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó, who told me the same thing - that they were against it for all the reasons I mentioned and that, if there was a statement about it, they would vote against it" Ivica Dačić highlighted.

He added that even if Priština's request entered the procedure, which was possible, that procedure implied that the European Commission would make a statement about it in the following period of approximately one year.

"But, in the end, this requires a consensus, which does not exist in the EU. That's why I think this is rather a political and marketing move for internal political use in Kosovo”, Ivica Dačić stressed.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić explained that he did not know why anyone would be against what was written in the Resolution 1244 and pointed out that it was not particularly good for anyone to talk about which UN resolutions can and should be applied and which ones cannot since, according to him, this lead to selectivity and double standards.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić commented on the statement of the US special representative for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar, who said that the US categorically opposed the return of Serbian forces to the north of Kosovo and Metohija.

Answering the questions of journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ivica Dačić said that Serbia firmly adhered to all international obligations that it had undertaken or that had been imposed on us.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić stressed that the Resolution 1244 allowed for the possibility of the return of Serbian forces to Kosovo and Metohija.

"We think that the situation should be objectively analyzed. Regardless of any individual opinion, it should not be an obstacle to lead a serious discussion on this topic within the UN system. Therefore, such statements are certainly not good, both his or the one made by the Minister Baerbock ", Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić concluded.

Source: Tanjug