The Serbian mission to the United Nations has submitted a proposed resolution on Kosovo to the UN General Assembly, calling "on all sides to find a mutually acceptable solution to all disputed issues through peaceful dialogue, with the aim of achieving peace, security and co-operation in the region," according to the Serbian government website – but making no reference to wanting talks re-opened on the status of Kosovo.
 
The proposed resolution is a sequel to the announcement on July 22 2010 by the International Court of Justice that it did not see the February 2008 unilateral declaration of independence in Pristina as in violation of international law.
 
According to Serbia’s foreign ministry, which published the full text of the proposed resolution, the draft asks the General Assembly "aware that an agreement has not been reached between the sides on the consequences of the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo from Serbia," and "taking into account the fact that one-sided secession cannot be an accepted way for resolving territorial issues," to state three points.
 
These are that the UN General Assembly "acknowledges the Advisory opinion of the ICJ passed on July 22 2010 on whether the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo is in line with international law," "calls on the sides to find a mutually acceptable solution for all disputed issues through peaceful dialogue, with the aim of achieving peace, security and co-operation in the region, and "decides to include in the interim agenda of the 66th session an item namely: ‘Further activities following the passing of the advisory opinion of the ICJ on whether the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo is in line with international law’."
 
Serbia said that the resolution was submitted after consultation with many international member states, including all permanent members of the Security Council.
 
According to the Serbian government, foreign minister Vuk Jeremic had travelled on July 28 2010 to New York to talk with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki moon about the situation in Kosovo after the ICJ announced its opinion.
 
During his trip to New York, Jeremic would also address the Forum of the Non-Aligned Movement and will have a large number of meetings with ambassadors of the UN member states, the Serbian government said.
 
Jeremic would also have a series of consultations concerning preparation for the session of the UN Security Council on Kosovo which is scheduled for next week, Belgrade said.
 
Immediately after the July 22 ruling, Serbian president Boris Tadic said that Serbia would continue trying to get Kosovo back using all peaceful and legal means.
 
As reported by Serbian news agencies, Tadic said that there was no way that Serbia could defend its integrity in Kosovo without good relations with the international community, namely the United States, Russia, India and China. He spoke out against confrontation, saying that taking that route "would strip Serbia of any possibility to fight for its national interests and Kosovo".
 
"Serbia, whatever it is like and whoever is leading it, must have good relations with the powerful countries of the world. All other policies lead directly to doom," Tadic told a parliamentary debate on government policy on Kosovo.
 
Serbia is backed by UN Security Council permanent members Russia and China in rejecting Kosovo’s independence, while Pristina has the backing of the United States, 22 out of 27 EU member states and various other countries, including some Arab and Islamic states. Belgrade has said that it expects that the ICJ announcement could be followed by further recognitions of Kosovo, which currently lacks sufficient numbers to be proposed for UN membership.