First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic said today that Serbia would conduct an independent foreign policy until it became a full-fledged EU member, and the countries that were now asking Serbia to condemn the behaviour of Russia vis-a-vis Ukraine had better done the same when Kosovo was concerned.

"We know what our obligations are and we made it clear to (High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) Catherine Ashton, and no one in the world should bother about the Serbian position. We can think with our own heads", was Ivica Dacic's message.

He reiterated at a coffee break of the First Plenary South-East Europe Conference of the World Federation of Consuls that Serbia acted in a principled way in the case of Ukraine by supporting the territorial integrity of all Member States of the United Nations. However, Belgrade had no obligation nor would it impose any sanctions on Russia.

"Serbia will be under the obligation to respect the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the Union once it becomes a full-fledged member of the EU", Dacic told the journalists commenting on yesterday's statements of the French and EU's Ambassadors that Belgrade was expected to be more clearly supportive of the EU position regarding the Ukrainian crisis.

"Until then, Serbia will conduct its independent foreign policy", he said.

"According to Dacic, Serbia's policy would be based on the country's commitment to EU membership and its required conduct along these lines, meaning it would align as much as possible with EU positions while simultaneously balancing, considering and assessing each and every issue in accordance with the state and national interests of Serbia.

"It goes without saying that it would have been much easier for us had the countries which are now telling Serbia to condemn the so-called illegal actions of Russia against Ukraine done the same and condemned the illegal actions of Kosovo against Serbia", emphasized the Serbian Foreign Minister adding that "double standards are never good".

In addressing the participants of the Conference, Minister Dacic pointed out that Serbia would cooperate with all countries of the world, based on mutual consensus on the territorial integrity of every state and over the improvement of economic relations.

He reiterated that Serbia would never under any circumstances recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and Metohija, but that it was, on the other hand, firmly committed to the road of peace and cooperation.

For the first time and without doubt, Serbia's policy on Kosovo and Metohija is clearly defined... We are committed to the continuation of the dialogue seeking solutions for every open issue in good faith and under EU auspices.

Developments of the past few months, in his words, indicated how wrong were the double standards applied by the international community.

"What applied to Serbia and Kosovo could, unfortunately, be applied to other international areas. If you have violated international law once, you set a precedent for the same to be done in other parts of the globe, as well", stressed the Serbian Foreign Minister.

Aside from finding an acceptable solution for Kosovo, Dacic added that the priorities of the new Government of Serbia were also strong commitment to EU membership, strengthening of good-neighbourly relations and regional cooperation, promotion of relations with the leading countries of the world – Russia, United States, China and other world powers, as well as strengthening of economic relations with foreign countries in general.

In the period ahead, he said that we looked forward to a large presence of leading foreign investors and foreign capital through an improved business climate, especially when it came to privatization of Serbian companies, and underlined that Serbia was increasingly becoming an important energy hub, as recognized by foreign investors.

Dacic: Serbia will conduct an independent foreign policy until it becomes an EU member

Source: Tanjug

 

Dacic: We know our obligations

Source: Tanjug