"Careful approach to Kosovo lawsuits" 25 April 2008 | 18:42 | Source: Tanjug BELGRADE -- Serbia's decision to sue any of the EU states would link its future membership to the issue of Kosovo's status, Vuk Jeremic, DS, says. "If Serbia filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice [ICJ] against some of the EU member-states that have recognized Kosovo, the political condition for Serbia's EU membership would then for the first time be linked to Kosovo," the outgoing foreing minister told the daily Vecernje Novosti. "We must therefore be careful when we choose the way in which we will use this key institution of international law and which we refer to in our defense of Kosovo-Metohija," Jeremic said Asked what the concrete consequences of such a lawsuit would be, Jeremic responded that "any sued EU member-state would almost certainly block the process of Serbia's integration in the European Union until the withdrawal of the suit, which would be difficult if the recognition were not withdrawn." "This would directly stop our EU integration and I am confident in saying that this would not deter other countries from recognizing Kosovo to any greater extent, as some claim." "Therefore, the court should be used in another way - by requesting its opinion on the legality of declaration of independence," Jeremic said. Outgoing Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica and his Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) insist on direct lawsuits, while President Boris Tadic and his Democrats (DS) wish to, in September, ask the UN General Assembly for support for Belgrade's intention to ask the ICJ's opinion in the matter of Kosovo Albanian's secession.
