Diplomatic battle against Kosovo’s admission to UNESCO

October 2015

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic said today that Serbia will continue with its activities in order to prevent the admission of Kosovo to UNESCO, but warned that this fight will be extremely difficult.

Appearing on Radio Television Serbia (RTS), Dacic stressed that countries that have not recognised the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo suffer high pressures. He said that Serbia will wait for a session of the Executive Council of UNESCO, to be held on 21 October, when the issue of Kosovo’s membership will be on the agenda, noting that Serbia will go on with its activities directed against Kosovo’s entry into this organisation.
According to Dacic, Russia, China, Cuba, Spain, Argentina and Brazil oppose Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO, as they consider this to be the unnecessary politicisation of this organisation.

Dacic said that the latest request of Kosovo is just a consequence of what happened over the last few decades, and added that he is certain that Pristina will keep trying to join international organisations with the support of Western countries. If Kosovo is to be admitted to UNESCO, the next step could be a request of Pristina for admission to the Council of Europe, the First Deputy Prime Minister warned. Speaking about the possibility for Kosovo’s chair in the United Nations, he said that all hopes are invested in the power of veto and added that the countries friends of Serbia are under pressure to refrain from voting or not to attend the voting.

srbija.gov.rs

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