"We're not happy about Israel's actions, we'll see if rest of the agreement is respected this way"

Photo: Tanjug/Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selakovic said this morning that Serbia is not at all happy about the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and so-called Kosovo and assessed that it will certainly affect relations between Serbia and Israel.

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"Israel has chosen that its interest in tying itself to the United States and what is important to the United States is more important than its relationship with Serbia. That is their legitimate right. We have invested a lot in the relationship between the Serbian and Jewish people, as well as in relations between the two countries. And we are not happy about this," Selakovic pointed out for RTS.

Selakovic explained that Serbia under no scenario participated in the process between so-called Kosovo and Israel because, as he says, President Aleksandar Vucic did not accept to sign an invitation to Israel to recognize Kosovo and vice versa during the signing of the Washington Agreement on September 4 at the White House

"We said at the time that this is not something that is our international political position. It's very interesting whether there will now be Muslim and Arab countrie who will recognize Kosovo after this. I am convinced that there will not be," said the minister.

According to him, the utmost effort made by US State Department official Matthew Palmer to establishment diplomatic relations between Israel and so-called Kosovo was obvious, and to, as he said, implement that item of the Washington agreement between the US, Israel and so-called Kosovo.

"We will see if they will try as hard and try to implement those other parts of the agreement with Serbia. Will so-called Kosovo join the 'mini Schengen', will we carry out energy diversification, which is of great importance for Serbia, because we at (Lake) Gazivode today have nothing concrete regarding our economy... we will see what it will look like," Selakovic was clear.

He added that the Washington agreement implies a one-year obligation of both sides to abstain from activities at the international level - Serbia from getting Kosovo's recognitions withdrawn, and Pristina from seeking them and trying to join international organizations.

"We are sticking to our obligations, but we know what to do if others do not stick to theirs," concluded Selakovic.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)