This is Glauk Konjufca's full speech to the UN

During his speech, Konjufca criticised the unilateral approach of certain reports, denounced Serbia's destructive interventions and formally demanded transformation of the UNMIK mission, arguing that Kosovo is already a sovereign state contributing to global security.

The complete word of Glauk Konjufca:

- Thank you. President

Noble and honourable.

Taking into account the report of the Secretary General's Special Representative, who offers a detailed summary of political developments in Kosovo, despite some contradictory and unilateral elements that do not reflect exactly the events on the ground.

I will keep my remarks brief as I realize that this Council has issues and other more urgent crises to deal with.

The Republic of Kosovo continues to flourish as a stable democracy, with functional institutions, sustainable economic growth, police and professional security forces, consistent with the highest standards of human rights and community rights, which are guaranteed by the Constitution, while demonstrating sustainability of external challenges and global crises that are in the wake.

Since our last meeting, we have held free and democratic elections both at the local and national level, showing once again that Kosovo has built democratic and independent institutions capable of preserving stability and supporting liberal standards.

The newly formed government will continue its ambitious reform programme to make Kosovo more prosperous, safer and integrated with the wider world.

However, Belgrade has continued to play a divisive role, trying to intervene in the elections and trying to impose the local Serb community in Kosovo, the Belgrade-backed Serbian List, aiming to reflect the authoritarian and one-party rule of Serbia. Thanks to our determination and the support of our partners, we have successfully prevented such foreign interventions and maintained the integrity of our democratic institutions.

Mr. President,

We are a peace - loving nation and have never interfered with the internal affairs of other countries. Despite Serbia's aggression and continuing hybrid threats against our institutions and society, Kosovo remains ready to normalise interstate and neighbourly relations.

However, the obstacle to peace and normalisation of relations remains Serbia, which is not interested either in normalising relations with Kosovo or in EU membership. They are trying to deny our region stability, prosperity and full integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures, which are very necessary.

We call on Serbia to face reality and recognise Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state, as well as to prevent the hostage of society and the entire region from its aspirations for regional hegemonism.

While report of UNMIK accurately recognises Kosovo's efforts to normalise relations with Serbia, it bypasss the stabilising effect of our constructive efforts to integrate minorities in the north.

The effective functioning of a society relies on social cohesion and integration within a common legal and political framework. This is a framework within which many of you here at the UN Security Council act when it comes to protecting minorities.

Our efforts in northern Kosovo to provide security and respond to threats are intended to ensure a safe and stable environment for all Kosovo citizens, regardless of their ethnic background, so that our citizens can live in peace and freedom from pressure from Serbian illegal structures.

In this direction we have taken measures to integrate and harmonise municipal health, education services and other public services in Serb-populated areas with those of the Government of Kosovo.

Mr. President,

Kosovo has one of the most advanced protection frameworks of minorities in Europe. However, our concerns remain that Serbia and other malicious acts continue to use minority rights as weapons and exploit Kosovo's multiethnic character to promote division, disorder and undermine our democratic institutions and peaceful co-existence.

The report cites only briefly the discovery of illegal weapons in northern Kosovo, the Bur does not adequately assess constructive efforts and proportional measures undertaken by Kosovo Police and our government institutions to preserve peace and normality in this part of Kosovo. Over the past three years, Kosovo Police have uncovered and confiscated 247 illegal weapons and 17,421 rounds of ammunition in Serb-run areas in the north.

Similarly, the report of UNMIK highlights several isolated and local incidents, which are currently being investigated by Kosovo professional police, Bur does not mention Belgrade's hybrid threats to prevent peace and prevent the integration of the Serb community.

In particular, the report does not cover the case of armed and terrorist attacks in Banjska in September 2023, which remains a major concern for us. The Republic of Kosovo, like the EU and NATO, has repeatedly called for accountability, over the past three years. Belgrade has ordered, trained, and now protects the main authors of this terrorism and aggression, including Milan Radojici, who at the time of the attacks was deputy chairman of the Belgrade-backed Serbian List in Kosovo. We cannot trust Serbia and cannot expect to normalise relations without clear accountability as well as without guarantees for non-aggression.

Also, if the report. UNMIK would have been more balanced and accurate, it would have reported on developments in the region, particularly Serbia's authoritarian and destructive approach, which is evident through increased weapons, military escalation rhetoric, dezinformation campaigns, ethnic administrative cleansing of Albanians in 3 municipalities: Presevo, Bujanoc and Medvedja.

Mr. President,

Despite these challenges, Kosovo last year, 2025, was recognised by four UN member states: Kenya, Sudan, Syria and the Bahamas, and we expect to build and strengthen diplomatic and political relations.

We are grateful to 121 UN member states, which have officially recognised the independence and citizenship of the Republic of Kosovo. I call on other UN states to recognise Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state without further delay and to pave the way for friendship and new co-operation for mutual gain.

The key to peace and stability in the Balkans remains in recognising Kosovo's independence by all EU and NATO member states.

Mr. President,

As for rule of law and human rights, the report of UNMIK does not cover the Kosovo government's efforts to fight corruption enough, and briefly mentions our efforts to promote transitional justice and provide justice to victims through war crimes trials.

However, the inclusion of a broad annex on Kosovo's Specialised Chambers and Specialised Prosecutor's Office constitutes a miscalculation of judicial nature and an overcoming UNMIK's reporting authority. Specialised rooms are not the creation of Resolution 1244. They were not created by this Council, reveal no authority from it, and do not fall within UNMIK's mandate. Specialised chambers were created through a constitutional amendment adopted by the Kosovo Parliament. Their legal basis stems from a bilateral exchange of letters between Kosovo and the European Union.

They are the product of the sovereign legal order of Kosovo, created through democratic and supported legislative processes through partnership with the European Union. Specialised rooms must report to the Kosovo Parliament. Similarly, EULEX's presence is based on agreement with Kosovo institutions and should be understood within this framework. Continued efforts to present the institutions established by Kosovo with a framework of status neutral or UN-assigned are unacceptable.

Mr. President,

Let me finish by sharing our old view, shared by many Council members here, that the mandate of UNMIK is finished, and that UN sources and staff would be better used elsewhere to address crises and other urgent conflicts.

Kosovo is now an independent, sovereign and democratic state that has achieved normality and functionality, a sufficient reference point for UNMIK's removal.

As demonstrated by our recent involvement in the Peace Board, which was created by President Trump, Kosovo is willing to contribute to peace and stability in other parts of the world, such as the International Stabilisation Force for Gaza, which was mandated by Council Resolution 2803 last November.

The focus should not be on the UN presence in Kosovo, on Kosovo's admission to the UN. We believe that UNMIK should be transformed into an office that would facilitate Kosovo's full membership in the UN and its agencies and mechanisms. That would be a more stable way to use UN resources than trying to create a role that does not exist.

Thank you all. ”