Saturday, May 28, 2016

Spanish FM: My country will never recognize Kosovo


Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said on Wednesday in Belgrade that his country will "never" recognize Kosovo.
Source: Tanjug
Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo seen in Belgrade on Wednesday (Tanjug)
Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo seen in Belgrade on Wednesday (Tanjug)
Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008, but Serbia rejected this proclamation as a violation of its territorial integrity and Constitution.
In his remarks for the press after a meeting with his counterpart in Serbia's caretaker government, Ivica Dacic, Garcia-Margallo noted that the two countries are this year marking 100 years since establishing diplomatic relations, where "one of the key pillars is Spain's support for Serbia's territorial integrity."

The Spanish minister added that Madrid also supports Serbia's road toward EU membership, and remarked that economic relations between the two countries, unlike the political, are "exceptionally modest, and should be improved."

Dacic agreed that economic cooperation was now at a very low level - worth some EUR 340 in 2015.

Spain has invested over EUR 125 million in Serbia since 2005, including around 40 million in donations - there is room to enhance that cooperation and we will be working on that, Dacic said.

Spain has always stood with Serbia, backing it in the fight against the illegally declared independence of Kosovo and as regards European integration, and we must never forget that, Dacic said.

"(Garcia) Margallo heads a ministry that is currently very engaged in supporting Serbian interests. Spain is a country that has always stood with us, that has not expressed its support only with words," the Serbian official stated.

Spain's support "when times were hard" - and "the 100 years of good relations" are the foundations forf future cooperation, Dacic stressed, and added that the talks today also addressed the fight against terrorism and the migrant crisis.

According to him, the joint conclusion has been "to continue the join fight."

No comments: