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

Russia fully supports Serbia’s stand on Kosovo-Metohija

Moscow, 7 June 2007

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic said today at the end of his two-day visit to Moscow that Russia fully supports Serbia’s stand on the issue of Kosovo-Metohija, and an agreement has been reached that the two countries will continue to work together and plan future steps regarding Kosovo-Metohija.

Speaking at a press conference held after two-day talks with top Russian officials, Jeremic said that it is good news that the UN Security Council will not vote on the draft resolution on Kosovo-Metohija.

He said that it is of great importance that the solution for the Kosovo-Metohija issue has UN support, and stressed that it is necessary to continue patiently seeking a solution through the UN.

According to Jeremic, Serbia is ready to help in that process by engaging in direct negotiations with the Kosovo Albanians.

Expressing satisfaction over results of the visit to Russia, Jeremic reiterated that Serbia cannot agree to independence for Kosovo-Metohija and giving the right to self-determination at the cost of territorial integrity of a country would not be in accordance with the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.

He recalled that when it comes to the southern province, Russia had a principled stand from the very beginning based on international law, and added that there is no reason to doubt that it will change.

Earlier today Minister Jeremic talked with member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church and Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Kliment, who stressed on the occasion that Russia is with Serbia in every trial, and feels concern and sympathy for the Serbian nation.

Kliment said that Patriarch of Moscow and All of Russia Alexey the Second supports the struggle of the Serbian nation to safeguard Kosovo-Metohija, and pointed to the importance of preserving orthodox holy relics, churches and monasteries in the southern Serbian province.

Collocutors stressed the major role played by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle who with the force of his personality, prayers and love towards Serbia is a source of great strength for Serbia in the fight to preserve the province.

Jeremic expressed gratitude for these extraordinary warm words and conveyed to him greetings from Serbian President Boris Tadic to the Russian Patriarchate and head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Kirill.

The Minister also expressed satisfaction over the fact that the Serbian and Russian orthodox churches are working together in the Diaspora, and stressed that the cradle of Serbian history and spirituality which is in extreme jeopardy at the moment, is a strong motive in the Serbian government’s struggle against independence for Kosovo-Metohija.

He pointed to the fact that the first task of the Serbian government is to make certain that Kosovo-Metohija remains a part of Serbia and on that question there is complete agreement among political structures in Serbia.

Jeremic expressed gratitude to the Russian Orthodox Church for the spiritual support to Serbia which he received during his first visit to Russia as Minister of Foreign Affairs.