Cyprus: So we recognise Kosovo, tensions in the north are disturbing

“We are carefully watching the latest developments in Kosovo. The recent clashes between ethnic police and Serbs in those areas, which were provoked by Pristina with their efforts to break into municipal buildings, are a source of deep concern”, he has said.

Cyprus, among other things, calls for expansion and a constructive continuation in the facilitated dialogue by the European Union.

And, let me stress, that Cyprus stands in its principal position of not recognising Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence”, he says, among other things, as he quoted in a post in his network in Instagram, the Serbian defence minister.

Cyprus had given signs of “submission”

“We are consistent and principled in not recognising Kosovo”, Belgrade outgoing Ambassador Dimitros Teofilaktu said months ago in an interview given to Belgrade's “Politika”.

The Cypriot diplomat was summoned to his reading of international law despite the 2010 International Court of Justice as the highest insistence on interpretation of right Kosovo's independence has assessed as fully in line with international law.

However, it leaves open the possibility of improving and expanding Kosovo-Cypriot relations, wrote Nacionale.

“Cipro respects Serbia's territorial integrity, just as it respects the territorial integrity of all countries. Our position in not recognising Kosovo is principled and consistent, and not only because we have the same problem. In order to be creditable, we must be instructed by attitudes consisting and principled, in accordance with international law”, the Cypriot ambassador had said.

Serbian-Turkish relations are praised by the ambassador as broad and traditionally strong. “As far as current events between Cyprus and Kosovo are concerned, we need to support each other wholeheartedly, as we open new areas for further improvement of relations”, he said,

In line with European union policies, Cyprus supports the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, he said, but that they continue to insist on implementing all provisions related to the Association of Serb Communities (residently inhabited) because “Those are Belgrade's key policies in accordance with Brussels Agreement”.

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic has recently claimed to have received “Great Security” from his Cypriot co-ordinators, that if the other four union countries were to switch positions against the independence of the state of Kosovo, Cyprus would not. Such absoluteism, however, has not been said by any Cyprus official.