The Serbian Parliament approved on Wednesday what is known as the Declaration for the Protection of National and Political Rights and the Common Future of the Serbian People, which emerged from a “Pan-Serbian Assembly” last month in Belgrade.
The Declaration—approved on June 8 in Belgrade during a joint meeting of the Serbian Government and the Government of Republika Srpska, the Serbian entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina—consists of 49 points and also mentions Kosovo.
It states that the Serbian people “constitute a single entity” and that, although “throughout history, the Serbian people have lived in many states with different names, they have the right to preserve their rich tradition”.
During the June 8 meeting in Belgrade, there was insistence on, as it was said, the “use of the full name of the southern Serbian province—Kosovo and Metohija”—as a reference to the state of Kosovo.
Serbian news agency Beta reports that the Declaration was approved with 139 votes in favour and was applauded by representatives of the Serbian Government. Nine deputies voted against, while none abstained.
The President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, was not present during the voting, despite his anticipated arrival at the Serbian Parliament. The Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Ana Brnabić, had participated in the session of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska when it voted on the Declaration in Banja Luka earlier this month, according to the N1 portal.
The approval of this Declaration by Republika Srpska was condemned by members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as by the US Embassy in Sarajevo.
What is said about Kosovo?
In addition to the name section, the Declaration also mentions that Kosovo “is an inseparable part of Serbia”, and that the Pan-Serbian Assembly supports the Republic of Serbia’s efforts to preserve territorial integrity and sovereignty, guaranteed by international law, Resolution 1244, and other United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Among other things, it mentions that Serbs in Kosovo, as well as all other citizens loyal to Serbia, should protect monasteries, churches, private property, cemeteries, and other endangered sites.
The signatories of the Declaration also condemned what they considered “intolerable living conditions for Serbs in Kosovo”, created by the authorities in Pristina, but without citing any specific facts.
Another point mentions the need for the creation of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities in Kosovo, and the continuation of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue in Brussels as the only viable solution to the problem.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence and is continuously engaged in lobbying campaigns against Kosovo.
The two countries have been dialoguing in Brussels for normalization of relations since 2011.
The parties have signed a number of agreements, but not all have been implemented.
