Starović: President Vučić will defend Serbia's vital national interests in Prague

In a guest appearance on Radio Television of Serbia, Starović said that it remains to be seen what form this initiative will take and how it will develop over time, but that it is clear that it will not be a new international organization and that there will be no overlapping of competence between the Council of Europe or the OSCE. “We are discussing a broad political platform, and it is very important that President Vučić is attending. With such, very high political formats, the formula that applies states that it is important to be at the table because those who are not, find themselves on the menu”, and added that “it is better to be a party in a discussion then the object of a discussion”, Starović said.

The State Secretary at the MSP said that there is no doubt that there will be pressure on President Vučić, as it was in previous months, regarding the Serbia’s position on sanctions against Russia. “The positioning of Serbia will not be a formal item on the agenda, but the desire to achieve full pan-European political unity will be expressed”, Starović said, and added that Serbia’s approach is in line with EU member states in terms of clear condemnation of the Russian invasion and supporting Ukraine. According to him, Serbia’s position to avoid being a party to the conflict and to avoid introducing sanctions against Russia generates great pressure against it.

Starović stated that in Prague President Vučić will participate in an important round table dedicated to the energy situation, and there will also be an opportunity for a whole series of important bilateral meetings.

Regarding yesterday’s discussion at the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Starović said that it was a very important day in Strasbourg for which we had been preparing for a long time.

“What we see as the outcome is a small diplomatic victory for Serbia. Yesterday, the discussion on Pristina’s request for membership in the Council of Europe was initiated, but what we managed to achieve was to avoid any declaration by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Despite Pristina’s and wishes of their large and powerful international sponsors, the membership admission procedure did not start. However, there is no room for grand triumphant tones, there is no time to relax, considering that in the following period the discussion may continue and a declaration could be reached. Our argument, which was accepted by the member states of the CE, is that the last thing the CE needs at this moment is another display of disunity”, Starović said.

He added that regardless of the fact that Pristina and its international sponsors count that the winds at the CE are going in their favour, and are working to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority, our argument is that any display of dissent could, yet again, show that the CE is in crisis, lacking the adequate degree of unity.

“And that argument resonated quite strongly yesterday. Many countries accepted it, many of them those who recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and Metohija, and that's how we managed to postpone the discussion”, Starović said.

He also said that the CE procedure is very complicated, and that it could take up to two or three years, adding that it is important for us that the procedure regarding Pristina’s request did not start.

“We were able to stop it at this moment. There are numerous arguments on our side, starting with the disunity in the CE that could be displayed in the event of outvote, the fact that the admission of Pristina would be an example of a violation of the organization's statute, which stipulates that the members of the CE can only be UN member states, which Pristina certainly is not. A small diplomatic victory, but only a step in the long-term struggle that awaits us in that important organization”, said Starović.