Dacic: Pristina more likely to open embassy on moon than in Belgrade

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Ivica Dacic said on Thursday Pristina did not, could not and would never have a diplomatic representative office in Belgrade, and added that it was more likely to open an embassy on the moon than in Belgrade.

Commenting on a list of "embassies" published on the website of the so-called Kosovo's "Ministry of Foreign Affairs", Dacic said the inclusion of the Republic of Serbia on the list was a "brutal lie" and noted that Pristina would never have a diplomatic representative office in Belgrade, regardless of the way the Pristina regime was trying to present the matter to its public.

"Seventy-two foreign diplomatic and consular representative offices are accredited at embassy level in Belgrade, representing sovereign and independent states, which the self-declared 'Kosovo' is not, nor will ever be," Dacic told Tanjug.

He added that, in the technical dialogue underway since 2008, Belgrade and Pristina had agreed to exchange liaison officers, physically located in the offices of the EU delegations to Belgrade and Pristina.

"Liaison officers have no diplomatic status, nor do they represent a prelude to opening embassies - they are tasked with assisting mutual communication and overseeing the implementation of agreements reached," Dacic explained, noting that there had never been any talk of opening embassies or bestowing the authority embassies had.