Address by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic to the members of BBE-Bourgogne Balkan Express, student organization of Sciences Po political sciences faculty from Paris, delivered at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:



"Dear students,

Welcome to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. I am very glad that you decided to include Serbia to the itinerary of your study tour. As many of you originally come from the countries of the region, and some of you are even Serbian nationals, I suppose that you have acquired certain knowledge about Serbia, be it through education, the media, family ties or in preparation for this visit.
Seeing that you are here on behalf of an educational institution of such renown as the Sciences Po university and that your department focuses on Central, East and South-East Europe, I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to inform you in greater detail about the priorities of Serbian foreign policy and contribute to your better understanding of the role played by our county at the international level.

In addition to the maintenance of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Serbia has the strategic goal to gain full membership of the European Union.

The vital foreign policy priority of the Republic of Serbia is to preserve its territorial integrity and sovereignty, with Kosovo and Metohija as its integral part. As it safeguards its territorial integrity, Serbia is at the same time defending international law, the UN Charter and the supreme authority of the Security Council to maintain international peace.

I would like to take this opportunity to recall that the unilateral declaration of independence of "Kosovo", in February 2008, was a violation not only of international law and the Helsinki Final Act, and particularly points III and IV of its Decalogue, but also of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, adopted in 1999, in compliance with Charter of the United Nations. These are irrefutable arguments that need to be brought up repeatedly, as an example of flagrant violation of international law.

Reaching a political settlement of the issue of Kosovo and Metohija correlates directly with the stability of the region as a whole. For this reason, throughout the dialogue with Pristina, Serbia acted as a serious, reliable and constructive partner who delivers on its commitments, particularly concerning the implementation of agreements reached. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the other side, which has taken steps obstructing the agreements made and refusing to work towards finding a solution. This is particularly reflected in the fact that even six years since the signing of the Brussels Agreement the Community of Serbian Municipalities still has not been formed. The signing of the Brussels Agreement was motivated by the aspiration to identify modalities to safeguard the interests of the Serbian community in the Province, due to the lack of fitting institutional mechanisms. This should have been the task of the Community of Serbian Municipalities.

In this context, we have repeatedly pointed to the significance of UNMIK's presence in Kosovo and Metohija in an undiminished scope and an unchanged mandate, as a guarantor of the status neutrality of the international presence in the southern Serbian Province. A highly important role in the protection of the Serbian community and its cultural and religious heritage in Kosovo and Metohija has also been played by the KFOR presence there, under UNSC Resolution 1244.

I wish to underline that the foreign policy activity of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, carried out with indefatigable commitment by its bodies, including the Ministry I am at the helm of, as well as our active diplomatic efforts have resulted, among other things, in the fact that in the last year and a half 12 states have decided to backtrack on their earlier recognition of the UDI of "Kosovo". It is my expectation that such a trend will continue.

Fully aware that the European perspective of the entire WB region is a path to reconciliation and cooperation in the area, Serbia has constantly advocated the development of good-neighbourly relations and dialogue as crucial for the resolution of open issues and played an active role in the context of regional initiatives. Our country has been implementing reform benchmarks to ensure a stable society, full market economy and social justice. Even though Serbia has so far opened 16 (sixteen) and provisionally closed 2 (two) negotiating chapters, we believe that such dynamic in opening chapters does not fully reflect the dynamic of reforms being implemented.

Allow me to point to one distinctive feature of our European integration path, i.e., the negotiating Chapter 35 which is to a large degree the one setting the course for the entire process. Making progress in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue has been identified as a prerequisite for further steps in other areas, whereas Pristina has aimed to block the dialogue which is currently stalemated. I recall that the dialogue has been halted due to destabilizing decisions made on the part of Pristina, above all the imposition of 100% tariffs on products originating from central Serbia, thus making everyday life of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija even harder, and it was far from easy to begin with. Despite our sincere commitment to the dialogue with Pristina as the only way to come up with a compromise solution, the dialogue may only continue upon immediate revocation of the measures.

All the difficulties notwithstanding, Serbia will move forward on its European path, regardless of the dynamic in the negotiating process as this is the interest of all our citizens. Well-aware of the challenges the EU itself has been facing, such as the upcoming reforms, difficulties in maintaining unity, etc., Serbia has the expectation that the enlargement policy will remain the Union's focus, it being one of the most successful policies pursued on the old continent.

Dear guests,

In today's world dealing with serious challenges, the Balkans has always been a zone of the great power interests' clashes and geopolitical shifts. By cooperating with its partners in the region, Europe and the world at large, through engagement in the UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe and other international and regional organizations and initiatives, Serbia has constantly contributed to the strengthening of peace, stability and economic prosperity of the region as a whole. We could not be more acutely aware of the fact that the Western Balkans needs compromise and flexibility in facing numerous challenges, at both the regional and global levels.

In this respect, our country has devoted tangible efforts to promote regional cooperation and defuse tensions in the Balkans, while showing readiness to overcome the negative heritage of the past and build a joint future based on the principles of mutual appreciation and respect. As a good neighbour, Serbia will be a reliable partner to all who are ready to share the burden of responsibility in the implementation of the common historic endeavour that is building a developed, stable and prosperous region.

As a country continuing the tradition of friendly relations fostered between the SFRY and a number of countries on all continents, in addition to a balanced and diversified cooperation with great powers such as the U.S., the Russian Federation and China, Serbia has endeavoured to maintain active cooperation with the countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Finally, my message to you is that it is essential that your life goals be righteous, humane and noble. This is the only right way for you as young, educated individuals to one day contribute as professionals to the maintenance of universal values and, therefore, to building a more graceful, just and secure world that we leave to you.

I earnestly hope that you will remember Serbia fondly, and that you will want to return and visit us again", stressed the Serbian Foreign Minister addressing the students.