Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUN / KOSOVO
Download
There is no media available to download.
Share
STORY: UN / KOSOVO
TRT: 03:12
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 18 OCTOBER 2022, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters
18 OCTOBER 2022, NEW YORK CITY
2. Med shot, Ziadeh taking her seat
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Caroline Ziadeh, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Kosovo and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK):
"Since last spring, we all observed several escalations in political rhetoric between Pristina and Belgrade, as well as a few moments of acute tension on the ground. These threatened to set back many of the gains previously achieved through the EU-facilitated dialogue. During such moments, the attention of both sides was invested in mutual accusation, rather than in making use of formal and informal channels for engaging in constructive dialogue.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Caroline Ziadeh, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Kosovo and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK):
“Diplomatic interventions, along with a top-level dialogue meeting on 18 August, led to temporary relief in the form of extended deadlines and promises to continue discussions. Yet, the parties’ willingness to risk dangerous confrontations on the ground, at best, set the process back. At worst, it may lead to much more serious consequences, even if unintended.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Caroline Ziadeh, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Kosovo and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK):
“Any agreement between Belgrade and Pristina can only be achieved and implemented with a high degree of public involvement and ownership.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Nikola Selaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Serbia:
" Serbs are still intimidated in different ways, forced to leave their homes, villages, and cities. Those displaced are discouraged from returning to where they were born and lived their lives. The provisional institutions work systematically to remove and erase as much as possible of the cultural and national diversity that is left. At the same time, Pristina is consciously fueling inter-ethnic tensions using all available methods."
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kosovo:
" Everybody already knows: Kosova’s independence is a done deal. Finally, also Serbia will have to recognize reality; it will have to recognize Kosova like most of Serbia’s neighbors and so many others have already done. Mutual Recognition. That is what President Biden said. That is what Chancellor Scholz and other European leaders say. We have to talk about this reality: Kosova is ready and prepared for a real dialogue."
12. Wide shot, Security Council
Following escalations in “political rhetoric” and “acute tension” between Pristina and Belgrade, Caroline Ziadeh, chief of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), said that “the parties’ willingness to risk dangerous confrontations” may lead to serious consequences, “even if unintended.”
Briefing the Security Council on Tuesday (18 Oct), Caroline Ziadeh, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Kosovo and Head of UNMIK, said that diplomatic interventions, along with a top-level dialogue meeting on 18 August, led to temporary relief in the form of extended deadlines and promises to continue discussions.
She continued, “Any agreement between Belgrade and Pristina can only be achieved and implemented with a high degree of public involvement and ownership.”
Also talking today at the Security Council, Nikola Selaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, said that Serbs are still intimidated in different ways, forced to leave their homes, villages, and cities.
He added, “Those displaced are discouraged from returning to where they were born and lived their lives.”
Selaković also said, "The provisional institutions work systematically to remove and erase as much as possible of the cultural and national diversity that is left. At the same time, Pristina is consciously fueling inter-ethnic tensions using all available methods."
Also addressing the Security Council, Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo, said that her Country is “ready and prepared for a real dialogue."
She also said that to have a real dialogue, the question of mutual recognition has to be put at its center.
She explained, "Everybody already knows: Kosova’s independence is a done deal. Finally, also Serbia will have to recognize reality; it will have to recognize Kosova like most of Serbia’s neighbors and so many others have already done.”
