Merezh: It's our right to recognise Kosovo or not, it's not for Vucciki to teach us

Serbia's president during his speech had threatened Ukraine not to recognise Kosovo as an independent state, because according to him it could lose much if it does.

Merezhko has countered him by saying it is Ukraine's right to decide whether to recognise the state of Kosovo or not, and that it cannot teach Vucciki what to do.

Well, first of all, I have been shocked by the totally unacceptable, undiplomatic way the president of Serbia has presented his threats. Because what we have are threats, even absolutely unacceptable blackmail. So I perceive his statement for us. It is known that other states have already recognised Kosovo as an independent state, including our closest allies. I'm sure it is our sovereign right to decide whether to recognise it or not, he said.

Merezhko said whether the issue of recognition of the state of Kosovo belongs to Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky

And it's not for Mr. Vuciq to teach or dictate what to do or threaten us. It's absolutely shocking and unacceptable. As far as recognition is concerned, according to our Constitution, it is the preliminary of our president, because the president is responsible for developing foreign policy, including issues of recognition”, he said.

But he stressed that the Foreign Ministry does not consider it reasonable to recognise Kosovo at this stage, until it added that “maybe this means that a decision on this issue will be postponed until the end of the war. That's my guess. But there is currently no indication that Ukraine will officially recognise Kosovo”.

“Of course there are pro and counter arguments and we have to make a decision that I think as members of our delegation to the parliamentary assembly of council we have to decide on this matter ourselves. But it's an important question because you can see that we can perceive, we can see some similarities between Kosovo and Ukraine. Ukraine is currently exposed to genocide. Russia is waging and waging a genocide war against Ukraine, and as I recall from the history of Kosovo, Kosovo was in a similar situation.

There were so - called ethnic cleansings. In reality, it was euphemism for genocide and gave as a real moral right at least to claim and declare independence. So there are some similarities, but surely before making the final decision, we must take it responsiblely, weighing all the goods and bads of the law. Merezhko told N1.