Keepin touch

Whether you have a question, comment, suggestion or any problem in the purview of the government, send us your message and we will try to respond as soon as possible. If your problem is not in our purview, we will forward your message to the relevant institution.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

EU still without common position on migrants, border control

Belgrade/Berlin, 24 November 2015

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic said today in Berlin, where he is taking part in the annual conference of foreign ministers of South East European countries, that the EU still has no common position on the migrant crisis and control of borders.

Author: Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Dacic said after the meeting, organised by the Aspen Institute Germany, that the topics involving the Western Balkans are not current in Europe and the world any more, and that most attention is paid to the migrant crisis and the fight against terrorism, with reference to it how it can influence the destabilisation of the situation in the Balkans.

He pointed out that the position whether the EU supports closing of borders or the free flow of migrants is yet unknown.

This is an issue that we, especially Serbia and Macedonia, will have to resolve on our own, if the borders are closed, the First Deputy Prime Minister said.

Dacic said that Serbia will protect its interests and treat migrants in a civilised manner, but it must not allow to be turned into a collective centre for migrants who will not be able to move further towards Western Europe.

According to Dacic, the meeting also touched on European integration, and there were vigorous debates about it.

He noted that he reacted to the speech of representative of the provisional institutions of Kosovo Hashim Thaci and Foreign Minister of Albania Ditmir Bushati, who attacked Serbia because of an "aggressive" campaign against the receipt of "Kosovo" in UNESCO.

I reacted as I believe that "Kosovo" should first decide whether it wants to implement the Brussels agreement since the suspension of the Brussels agreement is not an option.

This is avoidance of obligations that we have agreed on in the presence of the international community and that is exactly what destabilises the situation in the region, Dacic explained.

He stressed that Serbia clearly replied that it did not take any aggressive campaign, but merely pointed to the unlawful situation, i.e., that "Kosovo" without an agreement with Serbia wants to become a member of various international organisations, and thus enter into the system of the United Nations although "Kosovo" is not recognised by the UN.

We also presented and that the position of "Kosovo" to the cultural and religious heritage as a series of destroyed churches and monasteries certainly cannot be a good recommendation for membership in such international organisation that protects the world cultural heritage.

Dacic said that the participants of the conference of foreign ministers of South East Europe all declaratively advocate for European integration, noting that Serbia insists on opening the first negotiation chapters by the end of this year.