Dacic: It Is Not in Pristina's Interest to Implement Brussels Agreement

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic in Kyrgyzstan (BETAPHOTO/DOSALIEV SULTAN)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on April 10 that the European Agreement on the path to normalization between Serbia and Kosovo, which was accepted in Brussels on Feb. 27, was legally binding for both sides even though it had not been signed, but that "it is not in Pristina's interest to implement a peace agreement."

Dacic told Prva TV that Serbia was leading the right policy on that matter and that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who accepted the agreement, had said multiple times that Serbia had taken on the obligation of implementing that agreement up to its red lines.

"It is not in Pristina's interest to implement a peace agreement, what is in Pristina's interest is to expel Serbs from Kosovo," said Dacic. He added that the authorities in Pristina had given the Serbs in the north of Kosovo an ultimatum, that they "must accept (car) re-registration or move out."

He further said there was the option of helping the Serbs in Kosovo "in an armed way," but in that case Serbian citizens needed to know that "cannot pass without a serious conflict in the region."

"Our policy is the right one, we are in a dialogue, while on the other hand President Vucic has clearly said multiple times that we have taken on the obligation of implementing that agreement up to [our] red lines, which he has clearly said refer to de facto and de jure, any kind of recognition of Kosovo, and Kosovo's membership in the United Nations," said Dacic.

When asked whether imposing sanctions against Russia over its attack on Ukraine would lead to Moscow recognizing the independence of Kosovo, Dacic replied, "I don't think so," but added that "[our] relations would not be the same as they are now."