Advisor to Serbia President: Petersen relevant no more Blic
September 19, 2005 'Belgrade made no influence on the Government or Parliament of the Republic of Srpska to refuse proposal for reform of the Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina. That is why claims by high representative Paddy Ashdown and President of the Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic about Belgrade's influence on Bosnian Serbs are without any grounds', Branko Radujko, advisor to Serbia President for regional policy says for 'Blic'. 'Actually Ashdown himself was leading wrong policy regarding reform of the Police. It is clear that the Police have to become more efficient and modern, but it is not clear at all, why change of territorial authority is required. It is also strange that he accepted to attend commemoration on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Srebrenica crime, the gathering that was organized and secured by the Police of the Republic of Srpska that he now claims to be incapable', Radujko adds. Q: What is your stance about thesis that the international community is in the hurry to integrate the Republic of Srpska into BiH in order to prevent possibility for Serbs in Bosnia to call referendum about separation from BiH in case that Kosovo gets independence? 'That thesis is very much abused. Serbia and Montenegro does not condition the future status of Kosovo by anything that is going on in BiH. We in no way bring in question territorial integrity of BiH. However, 1.5 million of Serbs are living there and such large national community is going to have its reaction regarding the application or non-application of certain principles. However, that is not the issue for Belgrade to deal with but of the people living there. Belgrade would never support independence of Kosovo. We would never say o.k., Kosovo is independent now, give us the Republic of Srpska. Let BiH remain within its borders and Serbia also within its border'. Q: Petersen is requesting that negotiations on Kosovo begin as early as next week? 'Petersen was never hiding his political stances that are so close to those of his close friend Ramush Haradinaj. It is obvious that he is no longer relevant political figure for that process'. Q: Ibrahim Rugova has already made team for negotiations. Is Belgrade doing anything regarding that? 'That Rugova's move is a kind of pressure on Kai Eide. The question is whether there will be any direct political negotiations at all'. Q: President Tadic has requested from Croatia to define its stance towards 'Oluja'. Has that request upset our relations with that country? Have we given up that request? 'Relations between SCG and Croatia since 2000 are permanently improving. There are, however, still open issues and we cannot ignore them. One of such issues is what happened with large Serbian community in Croatia at the time when independent state was being made there. The question to be answered is if the crime against Serbs has been committed during 'Oluja' in August 1995. That is a civilization question and the contemporary world is waiting to get the reply'. http://news.serbianunity.net/bydate/2005/September_19/13.html?w=p Serbian News Network - SNN [email protected] http://www.antic.org/
