Djuric: Pristina will not become CoE member today

CHISINAU - Serbian FM Marko Djuric, who is attending the 135th Council of Europe (CoE) Committee of Ministers meeting in Chisinau, said Pristina would not become a CoE member on Friday even though some European ministers had openly called for granting Pristina membership in the organisation.

"Good news from friendly Chisinau and Moldova - Kosovo-Metohija will not become a CoE member today. The principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty will prevail today in the room behind us, and I think that it is very important that the voice of Serbia - which recognises the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all European countries in an equal manner - was heard clearly, unequivocally and in its full capacity," Djuric told reporters, noting that the CoE was an institution based on "the need to preserve peace, stability and respect territorial integrity."

He said a discussion on Pristina's admission to the CoE had been intense and that the issue might be raised again.

"Some European ministers openly called for giving Pristina membership in this important organisation and, even though Pristina will not become a CoE member today, I want to tell our public, too, and people need to know, that the danger has not been eliminated. More than two thirds of the countries in this organisation are countries that recognise the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo-Meothija and, generally, there is a majority here that can, when it decides that it wants to, admit the so-called Kosovo as a member," Djuric said.

He noted that, during the discussion, he had said there was no place in the CoE for a government that was systematically violating the political, collective, human, cultural and all other rights of Kosovo-Metohija Serbs.

"In a time when the rights of Serbs and other non-majority communities are being trampled underfoot in our southern province, when there is a prolonged political crisis marked, among other things, by an exclusion of Serbs from the government and other segments of social and public life, and when there is major practical pressure on our people, I, on behalf of Serbia, said that there is no place at this table for a government that is systematically violating the political, collective, human, cultural and all other rights of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija - which, today, is the Albin Kurti government."

Djuric said Serbia was committed to dialogue, normalisation of relations and reconciliation in the region and that he saw a European future for the entire region.

He said a country that was an advocate of Pristina's CoE admission had itself had problems with territorial integrity recently.

"A country that has a territory in the polar circle advocated 'Kosovo's' admission here. I reminded them that we support their territorial integrity even though it seems that they do not support ours, but we should not forget that the principle must apply to all, because if they are not protecting Serbia, they will not be able to protect themselves either," Djuric said.

Djuric meets with Ukrainian, Georgian FMs in Chisinau

CHISINAU - Serbian FM Marko Djuric, who is attending the 135th Council of Europe (CoE) Committee of Ministers meeting in Chisinau, met with the FMs of Ukraine and Georgia, Andrii Sybiha and Maka Bochorishvili, on the sidelines of the conference on Friday.

"I have just had an exceptional conversation with Georgian FM Maka Bochorishvili, a dear and good friend of mine, and we discussed (Serbian) President (Aleksandar) Vucic's upcoming visit to Georgia, which I expect to lend a major new impetus to the relations between Serbia and that close and friendly country, which supports us on everything, including Kosovo-Metohija," Djuric told Serbian reporters.

He said recently launched direct flights between Belgrade and Tbilisi were very popular.

"Our economic cooperation is on the rise and we have shared views on many things, which is good," Djuric added.

He said he had thanked Sybiha for the support provided by Ukraine for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, "like we also do in their case, and everywhere where that principle applies".

"We also had really good discussions with many other ministers from the region and the wider region, and we will continue discussions while we are still here in Chisinau," he noted.

Djuric said he had also attended a very constructive and remarkable session on migration, the key political topic for the majority of European countries.