"Goal to have Kosovo neither here nor there"
23 March 2008 | 12:08 | Source: B92, Tanjug
BELGRADE -- Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic says that the attempt to create the
"state of Kosovo" is a stragic mistake.
Vuk Jeremic (FoNet, archive)
"Our idea is to prevent an international and legal confirmation of Kosovo's
unilaterally declared independence. Therefore, we will continue to do all to
limit the number of countries that recognize it, and to keep Kosovo from
joining key international organizations," the foreign minister told Glas
Javnosti daily.
"Once we have succeeded at this, and when it turns out Kosovo is in some
sort of a 'neither here nor there' status, which is not sustainable in the
long term, reason will prevail in the international community will, I hope,
and they will say, this is unsustainable, we will have to find a new
solution. We have tried to impose something on Belgrade, it didn't work,
let's get back to the negotiating table and find a solution that will be
acceptable both for Belgrade and Pritina," he continued.
He added that the Ministry of Foreign affairs has sent letters to 23
international organizations warning that their statutes and principles must
prevent them from accepting Pritina's possible membership applications.
"It is very important for us to consolidate a majority that does not accept
Kosovo's independence, to gather it in a bloc that will be larger that the
group of countries that do. The best way to achieve this is to, at the UN
General Assembly in September, where each country has one vote, put our
proposal up a proposal to seek the opinion of the International Court of
Justice".
"This is when everything would be even more in the field of international
law, which works in our favor. I believe that we would make an important
tactical and diplomatic victory in this way," Jeremic said.
Speaking about the countries in the region, he said Belgrade expected
Romania, Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina not to recognize Kosovo's unilateral
secession, adding that he hoped Montenegro would not make such a move
either, "although pressure on it is fairly great".
As for the deadly violence in Kosovska Mitrovica on March 17 this year, when
UNMIK and KFOR troops stormed a local court, while Serbs answered with
riots, Jeremic said Serbia's UN ambassador has been instructed to go to the
organization's general secretariat every day and seek answers, "so that what
took place does not fade away and is forgotten".
"Because, what we saw on March 17, is a recipe for disaster," Jeremic added.
One UN policeman died, while one Kosovo Serb is still in a coma after the
violence Monday.
"For this reason, we must find ways to reestablish trust between UNMIK,
Kosovo Serbs and the Serbian government. We must calm the situation,
because, whatever happens in the political scene, lives must not be
threatened," the head of Serbia's diplomacy said.
"It would be good if UNMIK and Belgrade were to find some common ground and
sign an interim agreement that would clearly define mutual cooperation in
this new situation, so as to avoid new conflict with unforeseeable
consequences," Jeremic said.
He also added the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), initialed
by Belgrade and Brussels last November, in its Article 135 "clearly defines
that Kosovo will be treated according to Resolution 1244".
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