Top Serbian Diplomat Slams European Parliament's Call For Recognition Of Kosovo

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published February 24, 2021 | 11:56 PM

Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic on Wednesday condemned the European Parliament for its call on EU member states to recognize Kosovo, saying it was against European laws

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th February, 2021) Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic on Wednesday condemned the European Parliament for its call on EU member states to recognize Kosovo, saying it was against European laws.

On Tuesday, the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee adopted a report in which it appealed to the European nations which have not recognized the self-proclaimed Kosovo Republic to do so.

"The EU, although the majority of its members have recognized self-proclaimed Kosovo, as a political entity, has been trying for years to at least formally adhere to the position of status neutrality, and the call of European Parliament rapporteur Viola von Cramon-Taubadel to the five member states to recognize the self-proclaimed 'Kosovo' is a gross violation of the existing practice of Brussels," Selakovic said, as cited by the Serbian Foreign Ministry's statement.

The minister noted that the parliament's report appeared to be a "personal lobbying initiative" of von Cramon, a German politician and the parliament's rapporteur on relations to the Western Balkans.

Besides, he recalled that the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations, mediated by the EU and based on the principle of status neutrality, were the only way to resolve the tensions between the two parties.

Albanians in Kosovo broke away from Serbia after conducting a campaign of terror against Serbs and other nationalities living there and after NATO forces undertook a 78-day military campaign in 1999 against what was then SR Yugoslavia, consisting of Serbia and Montenegro.

Pristina unilaterally proclaimed independence from Belgrade on February 17, 2008. Ever since then, Kosovo has been recognized by 100 UN member states. Serbia, as well as Russia, China, and some other states, have rejected Kosovar independence.