19.10.2018.
Minister Vulin: We expect NATO to honour its word
Asked to comment on what it is that Belgrade can do now and whether it is possible to stop the establishment of “Kosovo Armed Forces”, Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin, appearing in the morning news at the RTS, stated that it essentially was not a question for Belgrade bur for the international community.
- By the Resolution 1244, the international community undertook the responsibility for every situation in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, and for the honouring of peace and security, for respecting the lives of all who live in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija. Now, it is time to see whether the international community is capable of implementing their own mandate and their own decisions – underscored Minister Vulin.
According to him, the reactions support the fact that, at this moment, the NATO as well believes that the Kosovo Security Forces should not change their format, and this is also the time to see how valid the word of the NATO Alliance is and whether it carries weight.- I will remind you that President Aleksandar Vučić managed to obtain guarantees of the NATO Alliance that no armed formation of Kosovo Albanians would not appear to the north of the river Ibar. That was one of the conditions to sign the Brussels Treaty, and those guarantees were not easy to obtain. Now it is time for the NATO Alliance, as an organisation, to demonstrate whether its word holds weight and whether one can rely on it. We signed the Brussels Treaty because, among other, we received guarantees that no armed formations would cross to the north of Kosovo and Metohija, and that consequently they would not exist – Minister Vulin emphasised.
Speaking about security and political consequences for Serbia and the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, Minister Vulin estimated that, in that way, Priština significantly destabilised the situation in the entire region, not the Serbs.
- Absolutely nothing that could disturb the area of Kosovo and Metohija came from us or anyone else in the region. Yet, aggressive and insolent behaviour of Priština authorities, the behaviour that is obviously aimed at causing destabilisation in the area of Kosovo and Metohija, is something that must be recognised and condemned. It is high time we saw who it is that creates the problems in Kosovo and Matohija – stressed Minister Vulin.
Answering the question if that was the manner in which they bypassed the Constitution, although it had been stated several times that the Constitution had had to be obeyed and that the agreement of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija had been necessary, Minister Vulin said that “it is yet another proof that it is not a state whatsoever, but just a territory. The state honours its constitution, the territories cannot. They even infringe their own so called laws, and they infringe their own so called Constitution. One of the reasons why the NATO Alliance is rather sceptical regarding those so called “Kosovo Armed Forces” is that, even according to NATO standards, you have to have a certain percentage of minorities within what you refer to as the armed forces. They do not have that. They want the armed forces but without the Serbs. They want the territory but without the Serbs, and they want Kosovo and Metohija but without the Serbs” Minister Vulin underlined.
Minister Vulin hopes that he will talk with the representatives of KFOR later during the day. “I am interested in their position, just like I am very much interested in whether they will honour the Resolution 1244, which is entirely within their purview. KFOR is the only armed force in the territory of Kosovo and Metohije and there cannot be any other. The establishment of a paramilitary in the area of Kosovo and Metohija is something that puts in jeopardy the entire region – Minister Vulin sent the message and added that it was in the interest of many great powers that UNMIC, KFOR and Resolution 1244 disappeared so that they could create there something that they had not been able to create all those years – to create an independent state of Kosovo.
- Serbia will remain devoted to the international law, like it has always been, and we will work on pacifying and stabilising the situation, to protect the Serbs in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija. We will be responsible – Minister Vulin stressed.
He also highlighted that he knew that President Vučić was highly concerned about everything that was happening in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija.
- Last night, information were exchanged and situation in the area of Kosovo and Metohija was analysed all through the night, and I am absolutely sure that he will make the best possible decision and take care of the interests of Serbia and the Serbs. Sometimes the easiest thing to do is to act on your feelings, something that can carry you at one moment which is something that any one of us can understand and accept as the truth, but the state reasons are above that and Aleksandar Vučić has showed that he is capable to lead the state, and he is not governed by his emotions, or mine or anybody else’s – Minister Vulin concluded.
