First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic received today Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Kosovo and Head of UNMIK Zahir Tanin, within the framework of the latter's regular visits to Belgrade, ahead of the UN Security Council meeting devoted to the work of UNMIK.

The collocutors discussed the current, sensitive security and political situation in Kosovo and Metohija, in particular in the context of various provocative and unilateral moves made by Prishtina, which are contrary to the general atmosphere in which the dialogue is being conducted and which additionally heighten the tensions.

The parties also stressed the importance of the continued, unreduced presence of UNMIK with a view to creating the conditions for a normal and dignified life of the Serbs and the members of other non-Albanian communities in Kosovo, in line with UNSC Resolution 1244 (1999).

Minister Dacic underlined in this context that the preservation of the existing dynamic and format of UN Security Council sessions was particularly important to the Republic of Serbia, especially at the time of enormous efforts to find a compromise and sustainable solution through dialogue with Prishtina.

The collocutors also discussed the prospects of the Belgrade-Prishtina dialogue and further engagement of UNMIK with the key areas of its mandate, e.g. the creation of conditions for a sustainable return of internally displaced persons from Kosovo and Metohija.

The Head of Serbian diplomacy conveyed particular gratitude to his collocutor for the efforts he had devoted to the discharge of the UNMIK's mandate, expressing the expectation that the Mission would continue to operate in full capacity and in accordance with UNSC Resolution 1244.