Athens, 30 October 2023

Chair of National Defence and Foreign Affairs Committee meets with Ambassador of Republic of Serbia

The Chair of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Foreign Affairs Dora Bakoyannis met with the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Athens Dusan Spasojevic, in view of her upcoming visit to Pristina, in the context of drafting a report for the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. 

The discussion focused on the overall effort to implement the European plan for the de-escalation of tension in northern Kosovo and normalise relations between Belgrade and Pristina - especially after the recent meeting of Serbia's President, Aleksandar Vucic, and the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, with the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, and the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, which has yet to yield results concerning the implementation of what was agreed in Brussels and Ohrid by the two parties. 

The Committee Chair informed the Serb official of her intention to visit the northern part of Kosovo and hold meetings with a Greek-speaking representative of Bishop Teodosije of Raska-Prizren, as well as with mayors of the region. At the same time, she emphasised the need for the de-escalation of tension through progress in the dialogue, that is already supported by the balanced European position, proportionate to the responsibilities on both sides. 

Mr Dusan Spasojevic reminded the Chair that the Brussels Agreement in 2013 lay the foundation for the normalisation of relations between the two sides, which Serbia supported in practice, ensuring the possibility for the unimpeded exchange of products, the participation of Kosovo in all regional Assemblies and international sporting events, the use of an international phone call code and other facilities. Instead, stressed the Ambassador, the Serbs of Kosovo are subjected daily to provocations indicative of the intention to eliminate every trace of the centuries-old Serb Orthodox culture in the region. 

After the meeting, the Committee Chair reiterated that compliance with what has been agreed is a safeguard for safety in the region. 

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