Belgrade 10/20/2023

PUBLIC STATEMENT

AFTER THE EP RESOLUTION ON SERBIA AND KOSOVO

Forum for Security and Democracy, concerning the Resolution of the European Parliament that was passed on October 19th 2023 about the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, is of the view that it’s passing represents and confirms the fears, assessments and expectations that the events in Banjska on September 24th have struck a major blow to Serbia’s foreign policy and that the Resolution itself is in direct correlation with the steps that it’s government has undertaken to shed light on the activities of Radoicic’s group that took part in the armed incident in Banjska.

FSD underscores that the Resolution’s conclusions, regardless of the fact that the Resolution itself is non-binding, are a clear indicator and sign of danger that the confidence in Serbia’s judicial system could be severely undermined among the international public and significant international factors, most notably the EU, especially with respect to the ongoing investigation in Belgrade of Milan Radoicic and his group, which thus far hasn’t lived up to expectations that it will reveal relevant facts about the activities of Radoicic and his group.

FSD wishes to remind that immediately after the events of September 24th we were among the first to issue a warning about these consequences in case of a slow pace of a serious investigation into the paramilitary formation which was spearheaded by Radoicic in the armed incident in Banjska and especially the weapons smuggling in the country and towards Northern Kosovo of which we were notified at the start of the investigation. Doubts surrounding the sincerity of that investigation and its credibility were sown on Day One after Mr. Radoicic was allowed to defend himself outside of custody and because to this day no other member of that formation which took part in the armed incident has been named in the investigation.

FSD, in spite of all this, believes that the undermining of confidence of the international community in Serbia and her institutions can be averted if Serbia were to expend more of its resources in the investigation of Radoicic and his group, which would need to be broadened in scope, all group members named, identified and punished in accordance with the law.

FSD, last but by no means least, is of the opinion that the treatment of the passed EP Resolution mustn't be disparaging, belittling or arrogant – as that would not bode well for Serbia's proclaimed foreign policy goals and its progress in EU integrations. Such a response would only embolden those conclusions in the Resolution which express concern about Serbia’s distancing from the EU and the strengthening of Russia’s malign influence.
The newest Resolution of EP must be a subject of serious analysis, by which we mean the reactions to it as well as a critical assessment of all the reasons that were stated as the cause for it’s passing, in order to escape even more dire consequences for Serbia, which the Resolution only hints at for now. In short, in its response to this Resolution Serbia needs to be even more serious and argumentative than those who passed it.