Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said in Trebinje, on Nov. 21, that Serbia should not recognize Kosovo's independence even if this means not getting into the European Union.

"If the price is for Serbia to give up Kosovo to gain membership in the EU, it should never be accepted because there are national and state interests and Serbia can survive without the EU," Dacic stressed at a celebration of the patron saint of the Republika Srpska Interior Ministry, Archangel Michael.

The minister said many EU members wanted Serbia to recognize Kosovo, denouncing this as "unprincipled and hypocritical."

"Serbia should not get bogged down in its lore. We should have a rational approach to the issue of Kosovo which will protect our people living there," Dacic said, pointing out that it was not realistic to expect "our national interest to be satisfied by having all of Kosovo as part of Serbia," since "history has led to there being a small number of Serbs living in Kosovo now."