Selaković: the UN are the key to protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia

Selaković said that Serbia considers the UN the most important international organization, which is of special importance for the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country.

The Minister underlined that Serbia is consistently committed to respecting the principles of international law and the legally binding UNSC Resolution 1244. He emphasized that UNMIK's presence and activities in Kosovo and Metohija are of key importance for Serbia, since the UN framework based on this resolution is a guarantor of the status neutrality of the international presence in the province.

Selaković also informed his interlocutor about the increasingly frequent attacks on Serbs, their property, attacks on Serbian historical, cultural and religious heritage and about numerous other incidents, of which UNMIK itself is a direct witness. He pointed out that since the beginning of the year, more than 90 attacks on Serbs, desecration of churches with graffiti and destruction of monuments in Orthodox cemeteries in Kosovo and Metohija have been recorded.

Also, the Minister emphasized that Serbia expects UNMIK to pay more attention to the issue of return of internally displaced persons, since Kosovo and Metohija is an area with the lowest rate of return of displaced persons in the world.

Referring to the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Selaković said that Serbia is determined and always committed to dialogue in order to find a mutually acceptable solution, but that the situation is not the same on the other side, pointing to the fact that for more than eight years, Pristina has refused to implement what it has committed itself to by the Brussels Agreement, and that is the formation of the Association of Serbian Municipalities.

The Minister reiterated that EU membership is our strategic commitment, expressing hope that the negotiating dynamics will accelerate, especially because Serbia is implementing important reforms and achieving good results, especially in the economic field.

Also, the head of Serbian diplomacy pointed out that Serbia is actively contributing to world peace and security by participating in multinational UN and EU operations, noting that a total of 4,024 members of the Serbian Army have been deployed in these missions so far.