Office for Kosovo and Metohija
Government of the Republic of Serbia

Đurić: Serbia in EU only as integral country

Serbia's position on Kosovo-Metohija's membership in international organizations remains the same, Director of the Government’s Office for Kosovo-Metohija Marko Đurić said Tuesday, reiterating that only an integral Serbia can be an EU member state.

Commenting on reports by some Serbian media that Germany will not ratify the agreement on Serbia's EU accession until Kosovo has become a full UN member, Đurić said:

"Serbia's position regarding membership of our southern province in international organizations hasn’t changed a bit. It is only as an integral country that Serbia can become a member of international organizations. Our position is based on international law, political and moral reasons," Đurić said at the third high-level regional forum on permanent solutions for displaced persons from Kosovo-Metohija.

Đurić said that Serbian officials maintain constant dialogue with the officials of the EU member states and that he does not want to comment on unofficial positions.

"No official, formal or informal signal has arrived regarding any new pressures concerning this matter", Đurić said.

Asked what message is sent when, as in today's Third Regional Forum on Durable Solutions for the Displaced from Kosovo, the existence of the Kosovo government is denied, Đurić said that he respects the fact that a large number of people in Kosovo and Metohija hold a different opinion on the status of this southern Serbian province than what is declared by the Constitution of Serbia.

"As a citizen and a public servant I choose to advocate the position prescribed by my Constitution, to privately have the same belief, and to stand for it," Đurić said.

He added that today's meeting did not address the issue of the status of the southern Serbian province, but rather resolution of the problems of the people who were displaced "because of the conflict that came on the wave of mutual hostility, hatred and chauvinism."

"Relations between Belgrade and Pristina suffered too many heavy-handed words and chauvinistic outpours by different political representatives. Please don’t expect me to take part in the race to denigrate and outwit each other before the domestic and foreign public, because it will not help those in need on both sides, nor advance their future," Đurić said.

He underline his firm belief that coexistence is possible in Kosovo and Metohija regardless of the fundamental disagreement on the status issue.

"I am not ashamed of my position on the status, nor do I think that it jeopardizes anyone, same as I am not jeopardized when a Kosovo Albanian representative presents their opinion. And it should not be linked to the issue of the return process, which should not be politicized nor instrumentalized for anything other than to help he displaced," concluded Đurić.