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Serb Minister’s Kosovo Claim Irks Portugal
Brussels | 08 December 2008 |
Portugal’s Foreign Minister Louis Amado has denied he phoned Serbian Foreign Minister a day before Lisbon recognised Kosovo to explain why his government was taking the move.
On Sunday, Serbia’s chief of diplomacy, Vuk Jeremic told Belgrade’s B92 television that the Portuguese Foreign Minister called him one day before Lisbon recognised Kosovo’s independence, to tell him that Lisbon authorities have to take the decision due to heavy pressure.
Apparently surprised with these allegations, Amado denied he ever called his Serbian counterpart before Portugal recognised Kosovo’s independence.
“Honestly, that’s completely false,” Amado said in Brussels on the margins of the European Union foreign ministers’ meeting. “I never called him and there was never any reference to pressure.”
Portugal recognised independence of Kosovo on October 6, one day before the United Nations General Assembly voted in favour of sending Serbia’s request to question the legality of Kosovo’s independence to the International Court of Justice.
However, Amado told journalists that he explained “the roots of his government’s decision” to Serbia officials during his last visit in Belgrade.
“I did speak with Vuk Jeremic when I visited Belgrade almost two weeks ago and that’s when I explained all the reasons why we did that (recognise Kosovo), as I have explained it in my parliament and to opposition parties and generally to Portuguese society,” Amado said.
“That is what certainly many other states that did recognise Kosovo and intended to have very good relations with Serbia have done,” he added and stressed that “obviously there is certainly a problem of language and concept.”
Lepu mi spoljnu politiku vodimo....Koji li je sledeci blam?
