Grubjesic: UN seat for Kosovo is not requirement
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European integration Suzana Grubjesic has said that a UN seat for Kosovo has never been either a topic of discussion or required from Serbia as a condition to obtain a date for the start of EU membership talks.
(kosovocompromisestuff) Friday, January 25, 2013
Grubjesic told Belgrade-based broadcaster B92 late on Thursday that Serbia would stick to the conclusions of the European Council from December, in which a UN seat for Kosovo was not mentioned at all.
German Ambassador to Serbia Heinz Wilhelm said on Thursday that Kosovo's membership in the United Nations was a topic that should to be put on the table in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.
"We are to respect the (European Council's) conclusions that define the conditions under which Serbia can get a date for the start of (EU membership) negotiations," said Grubjesic.
"In order for a country to become a UN member, to get a seat at the UN, a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly members present and voting is needed and no permanent member of the Security Council can vote against it," she said.
"The UN Security Council includes the two countries that have not recognized Kosovo's independence - Russia and China," Grubjesic said, adding that while not being strong on its own, with the help of countries that have not recognized Kosovo's independence, Serbia can prevent Kosovo from becoming a member of the UN.
She reiterated that the conclusions stressed the need for a visible and sustainable progress to be made in the dialogue with Pristina and Serbia worked on that.
"Visible progress has been made. It is now necessary to make it sustainable and nothing more than that," said the deputy prime minister.
Grubjesic also pointed out that there were no hidden conditions in the European Council's conclusions, adding that Serbian officials had received assurances from those deciding about the country's getting a date that "the bar would not be raised or such conditions set out."
She stressed that ministers of all 27 EU member countries had said at a meeting in Dublin there were great chances for Serbia to get a date for the start EU membership negotiations, provided sustainable progress was made in normalizing relations with Pristina.
German Ambassador to Serbia Heinz Wilhelm said on Thursday that Kosovo's membership in the United Nations was a topic that should to be put on the table in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.
"We are to respect the (European Council's) conclusions that define the conditions under which Serbia can get a date for the start of (EU membership) negotiations," said Grubjesic.
"In order for a country to become a UN member, to get a seat at the UN, a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly members present and voting is needed and no permanent member of the Security Council can vote against it," she said.
"The UN Security Council includes the two countries that have not recognized Kosovo's independence - Russia and China," Grubjesic said, adding that while not being strong on its own, with the help of countries that have not recognized Kosovo's independence, Serbia can prevent Kosovo from becoming a member of the UN.
She reiterated that the conclusions stressed the need for a visible and sustainable progress to be made in the dialogue with Pristina and Serbia worked on that.
"Visible progress has been made. It is now necessary to make it sustainable and nothing more than that," said the deputy prime minister.
Grubjesic also pointed out that there were no hidden conditions in the European Council's conclusions, adding that Serbian officials had received assurances from those deciding about the country's getting a date that "the bar would not be raised or such conditions set out."
She stressed that ministers of all 27 EU member countries had said at a meeting in Dublin there were great chances for Serbia to get a date for the start EU membership negotiations, provided sustainable progress was made in normalizing relations with Pristina.
