Serbia, 2006

First, I sincerely thank

Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General, for all the

efforts he has made throughout his very successful

mandate during a time of enormous challenges facing

our civilization. I particularly single out his

exceptional understanding of the problems that south-

eastern Europe has faced and is still facing.

I also congratulate you, Madam President, on

your election.

At the same time, I warmly welcome the

accession of Montenegro to the United Nations as a

new Member State.

I am addressing the General Assembly today as

President of the Republic of Serbia, an independent

and democratic State in south-eastern Europe, in the

Balkans. I assure the Assembly that Serbia seeks to

make a significant contribution to this part of the

world — in terms of fast democratization and respect

for human rights, economic development, the security

of the entire Balkans and the stability of south-eastern

Europe. Instead of being a place where problems are

created, Serbia and the Balkans must become a place

where problems are resolved in a peaceful manner.

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Serbia is simultaneously a new and an old

State — new, because its flag is flying for the first time

in front of this building, and old, because already in

1835 its Constitution guaranteed freedom to any man

setting foot on its soil; new, because it is being created

against the backdrop of the specific challenges of the

twenty-first century, and old, because it is created in

accordance with the very principles it helped to

establish and embody in the Charter of the United

Nations in 1945.

Today Serbia is an active Member of the United

Nations. We believe that the decisions made under the

Organization’s auspices have to form the basis of

stability and prosperity for all States and peoples in

south-eastern Europe.

Serbia believes in a shared and prosperous future

for the Balkans. It is important to stress that none of

the current problems in the Balkans can be viewed or

resolved in isolation, without taking into account our

common history and a vision of our shared future.

Hence, in dealing with any problem in the Balkans, it

is necessary to hear and give weight to the opinions of

all countries in the region.

I trust that a better future for our part of the world

will be based upon three major principles: democracy,

as a guarantor of human freedom and the basis of

economic progress; the security of each State, as a

precondition for the security of the entire Balkans; and

regional stability, as a vital factor of global peace and

prosperity. All the challenges we face should be tackled

in accordance with those principles.

In that spirit, Serbia is sincerely committed to the

territorial integrity of all Balkan States and the

preservation of their existing borders. In the same vein,

the integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on the

Dayton Accords, which may be changed by its citizens

only with the consensus of all three constituent

peoples, is an essential factor in the stability and

further democratization of the region. By the same

token, the preservation of the sovereignty and

territorial integrity of Serbia is in the interest of

democracy and the prosperity of all of south-eastern

Europe.

Strengthening regional cooperation is Serbia’s

priority. That is why we believe that the prosperity of

all neighbouring countries is in the interest of Serbia.

We are aware that the Balkan countries can make

progress and achieve their primary foreign policy

objective — European Union and Euro-Atlantic

membership — only through cooperation.

In this regional framework, we also wish to

actively cooperate in the fight against organized crime,

corruption and international terrorism. As a concrete

contribution to this goal, at my initiative, a meeting of

the Heads of State of south-eastern Europe will soon be

held in Belgrade, aimed at promoting communication

and strengthening cooperation in the fight against these

threats to the life and prosperity of us all.

Serbia sees the Balkans as a common space, in

which it is possible to achieve political and social

stability. The achievement of that goal should be an

important contribution to efforts conducive to full

democratization and peace. It is based on the principle

of shared responsibility of all Balkan States. That is

why none of the Balkan States must feel a loser as we

move closer to a joint European future.

Kosovo and Metohija is currently under United

Nations interim administration. The settlement of

Kosovo’s future status is one of the most difficult

problems facing Serbia, the other Balkan countries and

the international community, as well as the Albanian

and Serbian people in Kosovo. That is why we believe

that this problem should be addressed in a strategic and

substantive manner in order to arrive at a solution that

will take into account the full complexity of relations

in the Balkans. That poses certain requirements: to face

the past, to find sustainable solutions for the present

and to open up avenues of cooperation in the future.

But, of course, this does not imply that the

Kosovo case is unique, different from all others. On the

contrary, the Kosovo problem must be approached on

the basis of recognized principles of international law

and universal democratic values. If there is failure in

that, we shall not be able to escape the vicious circle of

old animosities and mutual recriminations.

What it seeks for itself, Serbia seeks for the

province, too: promotion of democracy, respect for

human rights, economic prosperity and security. In

order to contribute to that goal, Serbia has decided to

ensure power supply this winter from its own resources

to Kosovo’s population.

It is in the interest of Serbia that Kosovo be

stable, prosperous, economically viable, multi-ethnic

and democratic. Before its future status is determined,

it is of crucial importance to establish the rule of law

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and put an end to seven years of discrimination against

the Serbs as well as other non-Albanian communities,

who suffer as the target of extremism and terrorism.

The autonomy offered by Serbia to Kosovo

Albanians is broader than any currently enjoyed by any

region or federal unit in Europe. In our view, that is a

sustainable, stable and long-standing solution that

would open a new chapter in the long and difficult

history of Serbian-Albanian relations. Among other

things, it would enable Kosovo to have direct access to

international financial institutions, necessary for its

economic recovery and development, which are in the

interest of both Serbia and the region as a whole.

Serbia is genuinely committed to the achievement

of the Millennium Development Goals, technological

advancement and economic prosperity. Large-scale

poverty, which unfortunately still prevails, deeply

affects human dignity.

Today, 21 September, we observe the

International Day of Peace. It is important that it be

observed each year in an effort to put an end to wars

and violence in the world. Many crises have not yet

been resolved, and some continue to escalate

dangerously, while new challenges threaten to generate

new conflicts, destruction and humanitarian

catastrophes.

An important aspect of preserving peace and

security is efficient and timely deployment of United

Nations peacekeeping forces. Serbia supports the

efforts to strengthen the effectiveness of United

Nations peacekeeping, and my country is ready to

make an active contribution to these operations. The

mandate of peacekeeping operations is today more

diverse than it used to be and includes conflict-

prevention, peacekeeping, post-conflict reconstruction

and assistance to long-term and sustainable

development.

Following several years of conflict, the Balkans

is slowly but surely turning into a zone of good-

neighbourliness and cooperation. Serbia is prepared to

deal with the burden of its recent past in the interest of

its Balkan and European future. The people of Serbia

started doing this successfully and democratically in

2000, when they removed the regime largely

responsible for the hardships that befell Serbia and the

Balkans in the last decade of the twentieth century.

Precisely for that reason, we are firmly

committed to the successful completion of our

cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. This is not

merely our international obligation; it is also a question

of moral values.

As a responsible State and a part of the

international community, Serbia is truly devoted to

honouring the Charter of the United Nations and

building democracy in the world. Therefore, Serbia is

firmly committed to making its full contribution to the

strengthening of the role and mandate of the United

Nations, as well as to multilateral dialogue leading to

equal cooperation among States and peoples, to respect

for human rights and freedoms, and to tolerance and

mutual respect.