CZECH FOREIGN MINISTER: We recognized so-called Kosovo under political pressure, we should have acted more cautiously!

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Petr Macinka, stated that the Czech Republic should have acted more cautiously when it made the decision to recognize Kosovo and Metohija.

Macinka also said that the issue of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija should be resolved through compromise, assessing that it is, above all, a Serbian and regional issue, rather than an international one.

Macinka stated that the Czech Government succumbed to certain pressures when it recognized the independence of so-called Kosovo in 2008, assessing that such a decision was likely a consequence of the connections of the then-Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg with former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who is of Czech origin, and her interests related to Kosovo.

He added that at the time when the Czech Republic recognized Kosovo and Metohija, he was a member of the cabinet of President Vaclav Klaus whose stance, as he said, was somewhat different.

”We thought that the Czech Republic could have acted a bit more cautiously, more considerately back then. Regarding today’s policy, we do not want to add some new dynamics, to make moves that would be theatrical or sudden. That is simply not the nature of our government, to make such a gesture. We think that the issue of Kosovo is a Serbian issue, an issue of the region, and not an international issue,” Macinka told reporters after a meeting with Foreign Minister Marko Djuric, who is on an official visit to the Czech Republic, when asked about the Czech stance toward the independence of AP KiM.

According to him, the situation with Kosovo and Metohija should be resolved through compromise.

“If I could recommend to the Serbian side, although I think I am not being asked and should not be asked, because in such a situation it is better not to listen to outside advice, I think the best agreement is the one you make yourself,” said Macinka.

He also stated that the Czech Republic “parted ways” with Slovakia amicably precisely because they did not listen to others and outside advisors.

“Had we acted differently, the situation today would not be as it is, that is, it would not be good,” said Macinka.