PM: Serbia does not want to oust UN from talks with Pristina

BELGRADE - Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic has announced that, at Monday's United Nations Security Council session in New York, he will point to problems in Kosovo-Metohija that are related to the lack of respect of fundamental human rights, as well as the issues of security and the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

It is very important to note that Serbia does not want to "oust" the UN completely from the negotiating process with Pristina, Dacic said in a statement to the RTS.

"By a resolution of the General Assembly, the previous government accepted that the dialogue be conducted with European Union mediation, but based on the mandate that is based on Resolution 1244," Dacic said, stressing that Serbia has not, and will not, change its position on the status of Kosovo Metohija, but that it is working on normalising the ties with Pristina.

"If anyone wants this issue to be discussed, we are ready. The issue has not been resolved in a final manner as Pristina says. The issue will never be resolved without Serbia's consent and without an agreement made with Serbia, especially not without the United Nations," Dacic said.

He announced that he will also speak about arrests that have taken place in Kosovo in recent days, in particular the arrest of Oliver Ivanovic, a candidate for mayor of North Mitrovica, as well as issues that Serbia sees as disruptive to stability in Kosovo.

Dacic said that, after the visit to New York, he will travel to Brussels with First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, where they will continue the EU-mediated talks on Kosovo's judiciary with Pristina's representatives.

"We have presented our compromise proposals, and I do not know what more we can do. Obviously...