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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia ready for normalisation of relations, reconciliation in region

Belgrade/New York, 10 February 2014

Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said tonight in New York that Serbia is ready for normalisation of relations and reconciliation in the region and added that Serbia is ready for dialogue aimed at finding a comprehensive solution, but it is not and will not be ready to accept the one-sided declaration of independence of Kosovo.

Author: rts.rs

In a UN Security Council session in New York dedicated to the situation in Kosovo, Dacic warned Pristina not to interpret Serbia's readiness for dialogue and compromise as a weakness and to use it to promote its self-proclaimed independence. He said that the elections in northern Kosovska Mitrovica will be held and that the mayor will be elected, although the murder and arrest of mayoral candidates contribute to an atmosphere of fear and insecurity. The Prime Minister added that after the election of the mayor of Kosovska Mitrovica, the Association of Serbian Municipalities will be set up, the statute of which is being prepared. Dacic pointed out to the necessity of respecting the Brussels agreement and building much greater confidence because without it there cannot be a sound basis for any agreement.

It is necessary to achieve a basic agreement on the appropriate long-term representation of the Serbian community in the central institutions of self-government in Kosovo, Dacic said.

According to Dacic, the assassination of candidate for mayor Dimitrije Janicijevic creates an atmosphere of fear and insecurity, which certainly will not help to create the conditions for Kosovo Serbs go to the polls. There is a lack of sanctions for perpetrators of crimes against Serbs, which only creates a favourable climate for new crimes, the Prime Minister said and warned that perpetrators must not stay unpunished. Dacic also spoke about the arrest of candidate for mayor of Kosovska Mitrovica Oliver Ivanovic, stressing that Serbia strongly protests to the UN Security Council because of this and seeks his release from detention, as well as an explanation of why he was arrested. Such reckless actions could destabilize the already fragile peace and stability in Kosovo, warned Dacic. Reminding that Belgrade called on Serbs to participate in local elections in Kosovo, Dacic said that he would encourage them and to go to the parliamentary elections, but said that irregularities that accompanied the local elections must be removed.

The report of the UN Secretary General of the UN does not list any of numerous obstacles encountered by Serbs in the electoral process, the Prime Minister said.

In this context, Dacic said that the situation with voter lists is particularly complex and that their updating is imperative for the next election.

The Prime Minister said that Serbia expects the problem of secret indictments to be solved.

There are witnesses who suddenly start to give evidence 15 years after the alleged crimes. Oliver Ivanovic, who is in custody in Pristina, was arrested on the basis of such evidence, Dacic warned.

He pointed out that Serbs and other ethnic minorities in the province are still facing problems of limitation and restriction of freedom of movement, threatened safety and free use of language, access to institutions.

There are no adequate mechanisms for the return of property and there are no conditions for sustainable survival of returnees, Dacic warned.

Dacic said Serbia has recently received information about the intentions of the provisional institutions to change the legal status of the plant Trepca in Kosovska Mitrovica, whose majority shareholder is the Republic of Serbia.

The adoption of a new law that would change the ownership structure and legal status of Trepca is undoubtedly another unilateral move by Pristina, Dacic said.

This is yet another attempt of illegal disposal of assets of the Republic of Serbia and the violation of basic principles of property rights, said Dacic.

The Prime Minister also said that Serbian officials will continue to closely monitor the investigation launched by EULEX special research group to verify claims made in the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Council of Europe Dick Marty.

Just like Serbia has done everything in the process of clarifying and prosecuting all those who committed crimes against the Albanian population in Kosovo, Serbia expects full truth and punishment of those responsible for the war crimes committed against Serbs in Kosovo, Dacic said.

Dacic said that Serbia wants a lasting peace, and for peace to be lasting it has to be just.