Djuric: Vote on Srebrenica resolution will not go as its authors have planned

NEW YORK - Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Tuesday a UN General Assembly vote on a draft resolution on Srebrenica would not go as the document's authors had planned.

Speaking to reporters in New York, where he will attend a May 23 UNGA session on the document alongside Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Djuric said the situation had been different just a month ago but that no one had expected Serbia to oppose the resolution as strongly as it had.

"We have opposed that kind of injustice, we have also opposed the making of an artificial hierarchy among victims that would not commemorate Serbian and other victims and that would label Serbia. In particular, the co-sponsors of the resolution did not expect and did not want a scenario under which we are offering opposition as actively as we are," Djuric said.

He said he believed Serbia's efforts would produce results.

"I do not want to raise expectations too high, but, quite certainly, things are not going and will not be going the way the authors of the resolution have planned," he said.

"All countries that will vote on this are facing enormous pressure from some of the most developed Western countries, so holding discussions in such circumstances is not simple at all," he said, noting that Serbia had firm arguments.

"By fighting for our position, we are fighting for regional stability, for good interhuman relations between peoples in our region and against divisions and strife, as well as against a hierarchy among victims. Will we have more friends or more partners in the world after this vote? Quite certainly, there will be many more of those who respect us for not allowing to be trampled on and for speaking out to protect our interests," Djuric said.