The Vatican will not recognize Kosovo, claims Serbian
Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkić, adding that some countries could rescind
their decisions to recognize Kosovo.
Mrkić told daily Večernje novosti that Serbian officials had been assured that the Vatican would not change its stance on Kosovo.
“There is no recognition or a prelude to recognition. We have been assured by the Holly See representatives,” he explained.
The minister noted that Serbian diplomats were working on preventing new recognitions of Kosovo every day.
“A whole structure of a diplomatic mechanism is constantly working on it in all parts of the world. We are defending our positions and it is natural. We explain every day to those who support us what is happening and we constantly keep them apprised,” Mrkić said.
He believes that “any speedy recognition would be bad for the negotiations”.
“If any agreement in the dialogue is reached, we do not think that countries should not change their principled positions. Serbia does not and will not recognize Kosovo’s independence. Then it is quite normal for all those who have not recognized Kosovo so far to keep their stance,” the foreign minister pointed out.
When asked why he thought that some countries could rescind their decisions to recognize Kosovo, Mrkić said:
“Some countries have already done it. Sao Tome and Principe has annulled the decision to recognize Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence. Mali was for a long time among the countries that recognized Kosovo on all sites until their president sent a letter to the public stating it was not true,” he explained, adding that it was quite possible that more countries would rescind their recognition.