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China supports Serbia in defending its sovereignty on Kosovo issue — Xi

Xi Jinping is on a state visit to Serbia on May 7-8

Chinese President Xi Jinping Lintao Zhang/ Getty Images

Chinese President Xi Jinping

© Lintao Zhang/ Getty Images

BELGRADE, May 8. /TASS/. China supports the Serbian government in its measures to protect the country's territorial integrity on the Kosovo issue, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a joint press conference with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic after signing joint documents.

"China supports Serbia in safeguarding its independence as well as following the development path that suits its national interests. China also supports Serbia's efforts to safeguard its own sovereignty and territorial integrity on the Kosovo issue," Xi said.

Xi Jinping is on a state visit to Serbia on May 7-8. He began his visit to the republic on the 25th anniversary of the NATO Air Force’s bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. On May 7, 1999, North Atlantic Alliance aircraft struck the Chinese embassy building in Belgrade during a military operation against Yugoslavia.

Earlier, the Serbian leader stressed that Belgrade has fully realized that the United States and the European Union will continue to stand idly by as regards the aggressive policy of the Kosovo authorities towards the Serbian population. In this regard, according to Vucic, Serbia will be forced to change its approach to the Kosovo issue.

The Brussels agreements on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina were concluded on April 19, 2013. According to them, the Community of Serb Municipalities, a self-governing body for Serbs living in the unrecognized republic, is to be established in Kosovo. Vucic has repeatedly stated that his country has fulfilled its part of the Brussels agreements, while the Kosovars only started drafting the Community of Serb Municipalities charter and then suspended the process.

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China Serbia Xi Jinping

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