First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic is staying in New York, where he will participate in tomorrow’s meeting of the United Nations Security Council, where the quarterly Report of the UN Secretary-General concerning the work of UNMIK will be considered.
“The UN Security Council holds quarterly discussions on the Report of the UN Secretary-General concerning the situation in the Province; hence, ahead of the UNSC session, a meeting is always held with the country holding the United Nation Security Council Presidency, this currently being Malaysia.
I also talked today with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, who are both visiting New York.
We discussed our bilateral relations. Serbia has had traditionally good relations with Malaysia ever since the time of Tito. Malaysia has abolished visas for citizens of Serbia, and the Government of the Republic of Serbia will very soon take a reciprocal measure and exempt citizens of Malaysia from the visa requirement, but in the long run, it is important for us to enter into an agreement on mutual abolition of visas.
On the other hand, it is necessary to improve the level of contact, and thereby of the economic cooperation. I called upon them to try, like some other major countries from the East did, to organize a group of countries from our region, with which they would have special and specific economic interests and joint meetings. Serbia’s foreign-trade exchange with Malaysia is very limited, but in the long run, their investors might develop an interest in Serbia.
Malaysia, as a very important country currently presiding over the UN Security Council, has an important role in ASEAN, and we have to maintain our cooperation with this country.
When it comes to the session of the UNSC, I expect a very heated debate with the representatives of Pristina. This time around as well, Pristina’s representative to the United States Vlora Çitaku, notorious for her unprincipled and fierce attacks against Serbia at each session of the UNSC, will be acting on behalf of Pristina. I will oppose such rhetoric and rationale by all means.
We wish to maintain our good relations in the region, we want regional peace and stability, but we cannot accept unilateral acts such as the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo, and we are also insisting on the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities.
I will also be discussing all this with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday”, Minister Dacic stated in New York.