Koštunica: Kosovo supercedes politics
12 April 2008 | 12:47 | Source: Tanjug
BELGRADE -- Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica says that the issue of Kosovo
for him is a “question of whether we are a country.“
Koštunica added that it was a matter of “whether we respect ourselves as a
people or as a puppet state that bargains with its own interests.“
In an interview with daily Pres, he said that for him Kosovo was more than
politics, territory, any function, any relaxations or donations, and that,
as far he was concerned, that issue “would settle the question of who would
form the future government.“
Asked whether he was a Euro-sceptic or anti-European, and why he opposed
signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), the prime
minister said that he was only interested in Serbia’s state and national
interests.
“I’m not a European commissioner, I’m the prime minister of Serbia, and
every Serbian prime minister must exclusively worry about Serbia,“ Koštunica
said.
“Now we have this issue of what our relations with the EU should be
like--the best possible, but only on a level playing field. If Brussels
shows respect for Serbia’s territorial integrity, I’ll be the biggest
Euro-optimist. My position towards the EU depends on the EU’s position
towards Serbia,“ said the prime minister.
He said that remaining prime minister after the May elections was less
important to him than accomplishing the principles that the “national
coalition“ espoused.
Koštunica said that he had voluntarily stepped down from power on two
occasions, and stressed that that proved that political principles were most
important to him, and that he accepted responsibility only if he could
implement principles that he believed in, and that were in the interests of
the state and the nation.
“Our policies always guide Serbia towards the firm defense of our
fundamental state interests, while, of course, at the same time preserving
peace, stability and development,“ stressed the prime minister.
He added that the coalition that his Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS)
headed, and included New Serbia, would decide on post-election coalition
partners on the adopted principles after the elections, once the people had
had the chance to express their will.
