BELGRADE, January 13. /TASS/. Belgrade won’t recognize Kosovo’s independence or approve the self-proclaimed republic’s membership in international organizations, Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told the Prva TV channel on Friday.
"First, there will be no talks on the Community of Serb Municipalities. Resolution 1244 and the Brussels Agreement, as well as the Washington Agreement are international acts and we do not intend to hold negotiations again about this. Secondly, we should not be forced directly or indirectly to recognize Kosovo and it is unacceptable for us to agree with Kosovo’s membership in the UN. <...> And the third thing is the physical safety of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. Serbia won’t allow pogroms, but on the other hand, this is the obligation of [the NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo] KFOR, because they did not let our forces return to Kosovo and Metohija in order to ensure security," the Serbian top diplomat said.
Dacic pointed out that Serbia is always ready for dialogue but everyone should be aware of the republic’s red lines.
Serbia’s autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija proclaimed its independence in 2008 and recently has been aspiring to join international organizations. More than half of the 193 UN member states oppose the recognition of Kosovo, including Russia, India and China.
On December 15, 2022, Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo Albin Kurti submitted an application to the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union to join the bloc. Out of 27 EU countries, five - Spain, Romania, Slovakia, Greece and Cyprus - do not recognize Kosovo’s independence, which is already blocking any practical actions on gearing up for its acceptance to the EU. This problem can be resolved only by Belgrade recognizing Kosovo’s independence. Over recent months, the European Union has been actively pushing Serbia to recognize the independence of the autonomous province, insisting that its stance on Kosovo and relations with Russia are the main obstacles for Serbia’s EU membership.