Djuric: Serbia has changed its vote on Ukraine resolution to abstained

BELGRADE - Serbia has changed its vote on a UN General Assembly resolution confirming support for Ukraine and its territorial integrity and condemning Russia, Serbian FM Marko Djuric has told Belgrade's NIN weekly.

At the UN Secretariat, Serbia's Mission to the UN has changed the vote to abstained, which puts an end to this affair, Djuric told the paper.

On February 24, Serbia voted for the Ukrainian resolution, co-sponsored by the EU, but President Aleksandar Vucic later said a mistake had been made and apologised to Serbians.

Asked what had happened during the vote, Djuric said the responsibility primarily lay with him and that he was completely open and self-critical about the matter.

"In the international arena, Serbia is primarily governed by the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty. On seven previous occasions, we have voted for texts that were even more strongly worded, and it was all in line with the conclusions of the National Security Council from February 2022. At the time, it was determined that the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty of recognised states is the supreme principle for Serbia's position in the UN," Djuric said.

Above all, this was done due to the fact that Serbia is supported by the majority of humanity on the Kosovo-Metohija issue because it adheres to that type of principles in a consistent manner, Djuric said.