PRESIDENT TADIĆ'S SPEECH AT THE AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT

Honored President Kikwete,
Respected Commission Chairperson Ping,
Dear Fellow Heads of State,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my distinct privilege to address the 11th African Union Summit.

I wish to indicate my sincere appreciation to our Egyptian hosts for their excellent organization and warm hospitality in these beautiful surroundings that have played host to a number of historic events.

As an observer country, the Republic of Serbia has consistently held the view that the African Union brings together the nations of a continent aware of their potential and determined to harness it; conscious of the challenges ahead and how to overcome them; and determined to embrace the future, and the possibilities on offer for those who have the boldness to seize them.

It is the heartfelt conviction of my country that the African Union will play an increasingly central role in the promotion of regional peace and security; and that its influence on the stability and prosperity of the world will continue to grow, to the benefit of all Africans and the global community of states. Be secure in the knowledge that the Republic of Serbia will continue to support your efforts, and that we place ourselves at your disposal to play a more active role in issues that are of common interest and concern.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is with great pleasure that I am able to recall the historically close and friendly ties that the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia—of which the Republic of Serbia is the successor—maintained with the countries of this great continent for decades.

We were a true, unconditional friend to a great number of African nations during the struggles for national liberation and in the post-colonial period, helping to found the Non-Aligned Movement that emphasized the importance of sustainable economic development, social responsibility, and political sovereignty.

In the 1990s, my country entered into a period of internal instability that resulted in the breakup of Yugoslavia. Civil war, ethnic cleansing, hyperinflation, and refugees were the result. Our relationships with much of the world, including Africa, were neglected. But the dawn of the 21st century brought with it a new beginning. We have regained our footing, are poised to join the European Union, and are eager to rejuvenate our ties with the states of Africa.

Allow me therefore to renew the expression of my country’s genuine friendship as well as our commitment to enhance all aspects of our relations with the countries of Africa. Strengthening the already built bridges of understanding, mutual-respect and solidarity are not only in the common interest, but will serve our peoples far into the future.

It is to this future that I want to direct the remainder of my remarks. As a country on the road to full membership in the European Union, I want to assure you that the Republic of Serbia will now, and once it is an EU member-state, work hard to ensure that Europe and the rest of the international community take the challenges that Africa faces much more seriously.

This Summit promises to be an important one. Let part of its legacy be a recognition of my country’s recommitment to the cause of this great continent, to the future that binds us and the rest of humanity together to one another as never before in history.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are a proud, European nation whose history is a unique combination of suffering and redemption, loss and victory, setback and jubilation.

We have struggled to overcome five hundred years of colonialism and the consequences of too many wars.

While seeking the guidance of our traditions we look to the future we believe will bring us peace, security, and prosperity.

And that future is in Europe.

Yet there remains a potential obstacle on the road to Europe which, if not dealt with in the right way, could slow or even reverse the tremendous progress that has been made throughout the Western Balkans.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I refer to the February 17th unilateral declaration of independence—or UDI—by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of our southern province of Kosovo and Metohija.

Kosovo’s illegal attempt at secession has struck at the very heart of the binding principles of the international system enumerated in the Charters of the United Nations and regional organizations including the African Union—principles such as the respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, and the inviolability of internationally recognized borders.

As a result, a precedent with global reach is being established—one that legitimizes the forced partition of any member-state of the United Nations, by supplying any ethnic or religious group with a grievance against its capital with a playbook on how to achieve its ends.

This precedent also legitimizes unilaterally imposing solutions to ethnic conflicts. It legitimizes the act of unilateral secession by sub-state actor. It transforms the right to self-determination into an avowed right to independence. And it violates the commitment to the peaceful and consensual resolution of disputes in Europe—in this case, a political dispute about sovereignty and self-government, not a dispute about religion or ethnicity. The story of Kosovo is long and complicated enough without the perpetuation of tall tales about it being a religious quarrel.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Republic of Serbia has ruled out the use of force, in line with our commitment to the peaceful resolution of Kosovo’s future status, and the values of the EU we are on course to join.

Instead, we will continue to make full use of our diplomatic, political and legal arsenal. To that end, Serbia intends to put a resolution before the General Assembly of the United Nations in September that would ask the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the legality of Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence.

We are aware that you have been given advice to recognize Kosovo—and in the name of the Republic of Serbia, I wish to profoundly thank the vast majority of you for your principled position not to do so.

My friends, your support for Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is truly gratifying. Informed by your deep respect for the principles of international law, you have examined the strategic consequences for the United Nations system of Kosovo’s UDI.

You have looked at the Kosovo precedent, and have judged its potential consequences: existing conflicts could escalate, frozen conflicts could reignite, and new ones could be instigated.

In the name of consolidating a more hopeful, democratic future for all who live in our province of Kosovo as well as in the rest of Serbia, and throughout the region, I ask for your support for the resolution we will submit to the United Nations General Assembly in September asking the International Court of Justice to offer an advisory opinion on the legality of the unilateral declaration of independence of Serbia’s province of Kosovo and Metohija.

I thank you for your attention.