Mr. President，

I thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Kosovo, Mr. Farid Zarif, for his briefing. I welcome the presence of the President of Serbia, His Excellency Mr. Tomislav Nikolić, in today’s meeting and his statement. I also listened carefully to the statement made by Ms. Atifete Jahjaga. The recent severe flooding in Serbia resulted in significant loss of life and property. China expresses condolences to the victims. Our sympathy goes out to the bereaved families and to the injured. China shall do all it can to provide support and assistance based on Serbia’s needs.

China respects Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and understands the legitimate concerns over the issue of Kosovo. China believes that the best solution to the Kosovo issue lies in reaching agreements acceptable to all parties through dialogue and negotiation, within the framework of relevant Council resolutions and in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

At present, the overall situation in Kosovo is calm. The two parties to the Kosovo issue are pursuing the dialogue, which has yielded some positive results that China welcomes. We encourage both parties to continue their dialogue and negotiation, overcome difficulties and challenges, actively implement the agreements previously reached, effectively protect the legitimate interests of all ethnic groups, and resolve the problem of the return of internally displaced persons so that all people will be able to collectively benefit from peace and development and build a better life.

Resolving the Kosovo issue in a proper way and building a Kosovo where all ethnic communities live harmoniously plays a part in the peace and stability of the Balkans and the rest of Europe. That is also a common goal of the international community. China encourages the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to continue to implement the Security Council’s mandate under the leadership of Special Representative Zarif. It is China’s hope that the international presence — including UNMIK, the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo and the Kosovo Force — will strengthen coordination and cooperation in accordance with their respective mandates to continue to contribute to the peace, stability and development of Kosovo.

Thank you, Mr. President.