Brnabic files reservation to EU declaration to protect Serbian interests

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Ana Brnabic has filed a reservation to an EU declaration adopted at Wednesday's EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels to protect Serbian interests, making it clear that Kosovo-Metohija remained an integral part of the Republic of Serbia in line with UNSCR 1244, the Serbian government said in a statement.

Non-recognition of Kosovo-Metohija and non-acceptance of Kosovo-Metohija as a UN member as well as a member of the UN system of organisations and agencies are Serbia's clear red lines, the government said.

"The Republic of Serbia, committed to the process of European integration and talks, generally, with reservations, aligns with the December 13 2023 EU-Western Balkans Summit Brussels Declaration as a political statement and a legally non-binding document," the text of the reservation reads.

It notes that an agreement on the path to normalisation and its implementation annex as stated in the Declaration are considered acceptable only in a context unrelated to any de facto or de iure recognition of the so-called "Kosovo".

"The Republic of Serbia notes that alignment in no way means recognition of membership of the so-called "Kosovo" in the UN, the UN system of organisations and agencies, or the so-called territorial integrity of the so-called "Kosovo," the reservation also notes.

The reservation points out that the Declaration does not represent a legally binding agreement under international law and that alignment with the Declaration also has no bearing on the fact that Kosovo-Metohija remains an integral part of the Republic of Serbia that is under international administration pursuant to UNSCR 1244 from 1999.