Dacic: There was no pronounced pressure on Serbia in Brussels

Photo: Milena Djordjevic

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic said in Brussels, after a meeting with the heads of diplomacy of the EU and the Western Balkans, that during that meeting there was no pressure on Serbia, and that he was pleasantly surprised by the fact that almost all ministers from the EU spoke positively about the need for the countries of the Western Balkans become full members of the union as soon as possible, with specific deadlines.

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Dacic, however, said that specific deadlines were not discussed today, reports Tanjug.

He added that representatives of the provisional institutions in Pristina have shown extremist behavior even today, adding that their behavior has already become consistent.

"They talked about Serbia representing a danger to peace and stability, that we are a disruptive factor, and they are a factor of peace and stability, which seems really, really unreal," Dacic told reporters in Brussels.

He recalled that he signed the Brussels Agreement 10 years ago and commented that he cannot understand that even after all this time, extremist statements from Pristina are still being heard, and there is no mention of why they did not form the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO, a Brussels Agreement obligation).

Dacic said that there was talk of harmonizing Serbia's foreign policy with EU policy, adding that he told them that they should treat Serbia in a fair manner.

He added that Serbia is not value-neutral regarding the violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity, stating that it has shown this by voting for various resolutions.

The minister also explained that Serbia did not join sanctions against Russia, because Serbia does not believe such measures are right, and also because it is guided by its own interests, since its own territorial integrity and sovereignty are at stake.

Dacic also said that Serbia will not be the place from where sanctions are violated.

"What we can be happy about is that there was no pronounced pressure on Serbia, on the contrary, I think that everyone could see what the extremist policy that Pristina is implementing looks like," said Dacic.

Dacic pointed out that the union itself does not adhere to an established common foreign policy, citing the example of Pristina.

"Not all (EU) countries have recognized Kosovo, so how is an independent Kosovo a common foreign policy? Now they (Pristina) have been given visa liberalization, they have started the procedure to join the Council of Europe. They themselves (EU) do not adhere to what is established in the joint foreign policy when it comes to our territorial integrity and sovereignty," said Dacic.

Asked to comment on the statement of EU High Representative Josep Borrell, who said that close ties with Russia and membership in the EU are not compatible, Dacic said that this had been discussed before.

"The problem here is that the principle of preserving territorial integrity should be universal, instead of not applying to Serbia only," said Dacic.

At the ministerial meeting in Brussels, Dacic called on everyone to analyze the extent to which each country applies sanctions against Russia, and asked how it is possible for someone to impose sanctions against Russia and at the same time have an ever-increasing trade exchange with that country, unlike Serbia.

Dacic said that Serbia should take care of its national interests.

"It is said that we are under obligation to harmonize our foreign policy by the time we join the EU, is that what it says? So when is that moment? Here, let them tell us when that moment is, and we will say when we will (harmonize policy), but this way we will say we're supposed to say when, while they can say, 'we'll see, maybe (you'll join) maybe not'.That is not fair," said Dacic.

(Telegraf.rs)