Dacic: Kosovo-Metohija Serbs under threat, discriminated against

SKOPJE - Serbian First Deputy PM and FM Ivica Dacic told the OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje on Thursday Serbs living in Kosovo-Metohija were facing increasingly serious forms of institutional and religious discrimination, security threats and economic uncertainty.

"I will name just a few of the current problems our people in Kosovo-Metohija are facing. Their right to vote and participate in the upcoming Serbian parliamentary elections has been taken away from them by the interim self-government institutions in Pristina. Recently, the irresponsible act of moving a memorial plaque to Serbian soldiers has also taken place in Pristina," Dacic said in a speech.

He said the security situation in the province was a reason for deep concern.

"I believe that only strong international presence that respects documents of international law can guarantee security to all citizens in the province. Despite Pristina's dogged refusal to meet commitments undertaken a long time ago, Belgrade remains committed to the EU-facilitated dialogue process and expects all agreements made to date to be implemented without further delay," Dacic noted.

He also said Serbia remained committed to EU membership as its main foreign policy priority.

Speaking about the OSCE, Dacic said there were problems with the organisation's functioning and that it was unable to reach a consensus on key issues and faced the danger of embarking on a new institutional crisis.