Serbian FM urges African Union support
Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic thanked African countries for their support to Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Friday, January 28, 2011
He also urged them to support an investigation into the allegations presented in the report on human organ trafficking in Kosovo.
"In the name of the Republic of Serbia, I would like to express my profound appreciation to the over eighty percent of African Union countries that have not recognized the separatists in Kosovo. Your support for our sovereignty and territorial integrity is truly gratifying," Jeremic said at a session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa.
Jeremic underscored that Serbia's peaceful and principled position will not change, and that it will not recognize Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence, explicitly or implicitly.
"The dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is about to begin. We intend to be open and honest about what we want and what we can agree to. We shall make creative proposals, and work incessantly to reach a comprehensive settlement on Kosovo acceptable to all parties," Jeremic stated.
Jeremic called on the AU members to maintain their principled reservation on the Kosovo issue, since in the manner they will help the parties ultimately arrive at a mutually-acceptable compromise in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999), thereby preventing the creation of a dangerous international precedent.
The minister urged on all AU countries to support the prompt carrying out of a full and independent criminal investigation into the allegations presented in the report.
"In the interest of sustainable peace and reconciliation in the Balkans, on behalf of the Republic of Serbia, I ask the member states of the African Union to support the prompt carrying out of a full and independent criminal investigation of these charges-one that is both internationally mandated and internationally accountable, with ultimate reporting obligations to a single authority," he said.
According to Jeremic, Kosovo can be removed from the list of the world's problems by working together, demonstrating continued solidarity and rejecting unilateralism.
