First, I sincerely thank
Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General, for all the
efforts he has made throughout his very successful
mandate during a time of enormous challenges facing
our civilization. I particularly single out his
exceptional understanding of the problems that south-
eastern Europe has faced and is still facing.
I also congratulate you, Madam President, on
your election.
At the same time, I warmly welcome the
accession of Montenegro to the United Nations as a
new Member State.
I am addressing the General Assembly today as
President of the Republic of Serbia, an independent
and democratic State in south-eastern Europe, in the
Balkans. I assure the Assembly that Serbia seeks to
make a significant contribution to this part of the
world — in terms of fast democratization and respect
for human rights, economic development, the security
of the entire Balkans and the stability of south-eastern
Europe. Instead of being a place where problems are
created, Serbia and the Balkans must become a place
where problems are resolved in a peaceful manner.
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Serbia is simultaneously a new and an old
State — new, because its flag is flying for the first time
in front of this building, and old, because already in
1835 its Constitution guaranteed freedom to any man
setting foot on its soil; new, because it is being created
against the backdrop of the specific challenges of the
twenty-first century, and old, because it is created in
accordance with the very principles it helped to
establish and embody in the Charter of the United
Nations in 1945.
Today Serbia is an active Member of the United
Nations. We believe that the decisions made under the
Organization’s auspices have to form the basis of
stability and prosperity for all States and peoples in
south-eastern Europe.
Serbia believes in a shared and prosperous future
for the Balkans. It is important to stress that none of
the current problems in the Balkans can be viewed or
resolved in isolation, without taking into account our
common history and a vision of our shared future.
Hence, in dealing with any problem in the Balkans, it
is necessary to hear and give weight to the opinions of
all countries in the region.
I trust that a better future for our part of the world
will be based upon three major principles: democracy,
as a guarantor of human freedom and the basis of
economic progress; the security of each State, as a
precondition for the security of the entire Balkans; and
regional stability, as a vital factor of global peace and
prosperity. All the challenges we face should be tackled
in accordance with those principles.
In that spirit, Serbia is sincerely committed to the
territorial integrity of all Balkan States and the
preservation of their existing borders. In the same vein,
the integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on the
Dayton Accords, which may be changed by its citizens
only with the consensus of all three constituent
peoples, is an essential factor in the stability and
further democratization of the region. By the same
token, the preservation of the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Serbia is in the interest of
democracy and the prosperity of all of south-eastern
Europe.
Strengthening regional cooperation is Serbia’s
priority. That is why we believe that the prosperity of
all neighbouring countries is in the interest of Serbia.
We are aware that the Balkan countries can make
progress and achieve their primary foreign policy
objective — European Union and Euro-Atlantic
membership — only through cooperation.
In this regional framework, we also wish to
actively cooperate in the fight against organized crime,
corruption and international terrorism. As a concrete
contribution to this goal, at my initiative, a meeting of
the Heads of State of south-eastern Europe will soon be
held in Belgrade, aimed at promoting communication
and strengthening cooperation in the fight against these
threats to the life and prosperity of us all.
Serbia sees the Balkans as a common space, in
which it is possible to achieve political and social
stability. The achievement of that goal should be an
important contribution to efforts conducive to full
democratization and peace. It is based on the principle
of shared responsibility of all Balkan States. That is
why none of the Balkan States must feel a loser as we
move closer to a joint European future.
Kosovo and Metohija is currently under United
Nations interim administration. The settlement of
Kosovo’s future status is one of the most difficult
problems facing Serbia, the other Balkan countries and
the international community, as well as the Albanian
and Serbian people in Kosovo. That is why we believe
that this problem should be addressed in a strategic and
substantive manner in order to arrive at a solution that
will take into account the full complexity of relations
in the Balkans. That poses certain requirements: to face
the past, to find sustainable solutions for the present
and to open up avenues of cooperation in the future.
But, of course, this does not imply that the
Kosovo case is unique, different from all others. On the
contrary, the Kosovo problem must be approached on
the basis of recognized principles of international law
and universal democratic values. If there is failure in
that, we shall not be able to escape the vicious circle of
old animosities and mutual recriminations.
What it seeks for itself, Serbia seeks for the
province, too: promotion of democracy, respect for
human rights, economic prosperity and security. In
order to contribute to that goal, Serbia has decided to
ensure power supply this winter from its own resources
to Kosovo’s population.
It is in the interest of Serbia that Kosovo be
stable, prosperous, economically viable, multi-ethnic
and democratic. Before its future status is determined,
it is of crucial importance to establish the rule of law
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and put an end to seven years of discrimination against
the Serbs as well as other non-Albanian communities,
who suffer as the target of extremism and terrorism.
The autonomy offered by Serbia to Kosovo
Albanians is broader than any currently enjoyed by any
region or federal unit in Europe. In our view, that is a
sustainable, stable and long-standing solution that
would open a new chapter in the long and difficult
history of Serbian-Albanian relations. Among other
things, it would enable Kosovo to have direct access to
international financial institutions, necessary for its
economic recovery and development, which are in the
interest of both Serbia and the region as a whole.
Serbia is genuinely committed to the achievement
of the Millennium Development Goals, technological
advancement and economic prosperity. Large-scale
poverty, which unfortunately still prevails, deeply
affects human dignity.
Today, 21 September, we observe the
International Day of Peace. It is important that it be
observed each year in an effort to put an end to wars
and violence in the world. Many crises have not yet
been resolved, and some continue to escalate
dangerously, while new challenges threaten to generate
new conflicts, destruction and humanitarian
catastrophes.
An important aspect of preserving peace and
security is efficient and timely deployment of United
Nations peacekeeping forces. Serbia supports the
efforts to strengthen the effectiveness of United
Nations peacekeeping, and my country is ready to
make an active contribution to these operations. The
mandate of peacekeeping operations is today more
diverse than it used to be and includes conflict-
prevention, peacekeeping, post-conflict reconstruction
and assistance to long-term and sustainable
development.
Following several years of conflict, the Balkans
is slowly but surely turning into a zone of good-
neighbourliness and cooperation. Serbia is prepared to
deal with the burden of its recent past in the interest of
its Balkan and European future. The people of Serbia
started doing this successfully and democratically in
2000, when they removed the regime largely
responsible for the hardships that befell Serbia and the
Balkans in the last decade of the twentieth century.
Precisely for that reason, we are firmly
committed to the successful completion of our
cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. This is not
merely our international obligation; it is also a question
of moral values.
As a responsible State and a part of the
international community, Serbia is truly devoted to
honouring the Charter of the United Nations and
building democracy in the world. Therefore, Serbia is
firmly committed to making its full contribution to the
strengthening of the role and mandate of the United
Nations, as well as to multilateral dialogue leading to
equal cooperation among States and peoples, to respect
for human rights and freedoms, and to tolerance and
mutual respect.