Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić said that the Serbian Mission to the United Nations (UN) has changed its vote in the UN General Assembly for the Ukrainian resolution to “abstain”, putting an end to the issue.
He said that, above all, he bears responsibility for the vote in the UN for the Ukrainian resolution, which was co-sponsored by the EU and condemns Russia.
“Serbia adheres, above all, to the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty in the international arena. On seven previous occasions, we have voted for texts that were even more harshly intoned, all in accordance with the conclusions of the National Security Council from February 2022. At that time, it was determined that the supreme principle for Serbia’s position in the UN is the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty of recognized states,” Đurić said.
He stated that this was done, first and foremost, due to the fact that Serbia enjoys the support of the majority of humanity on the issue of Kosovo, precisely because it consistently adheres to the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty of recognized states.
“Our duty is also to monitor the current situation, to adjust the Serbian position to emerging geopolitical changes. That is why I think we should have abstained, and I will not shift the responsibility for this to either the profession or the sectors, the political responsibility does not lie with the president, it lies primarily with me. And if anyone needs to apologize, it is me,” Đurić added.
On February 24, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution drafted by Ukraine and its European allies on the occasion of the third anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine. The resolution calls for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and Russia and the US voted against it.
The resolution calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, a complete withdrawal of Russia, and diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.
Serbia voted in favor of a Ukrainian resolution reaffirming support for the country and its territorial integrity and condemning Russia. However, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that a mistake had been made in the vote and apologized to citizens for it.
