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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

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Italy reiterates support to preserving state union of Serbia-Montenegro

Belgrade/Rome, 7 June 2005

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said following talks with Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, that Italy has once again expressed its understanding for the need to preserve the state union of Serbia and Montenegro and stressed the importance of preserving stability in the region.

Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, left, and Vojislav Kostunica

Author: Tanjug/EPA

Speaking about the situation in Kosovo-Metohija, Kostunica said that the Italian officials agreed that a solution must preserve Serbia-Montenegro’s territorial integrity, with a high degree of autonomy and full respect of human rights. He also pointed out that the officials said that the preservation of the state union of Serbia and Montenegro is a guarantee for stability in the region.

Kostunica reiterated that the general formula for such a solution is expanded autonomy for Serbia’s southern province, with international guarantees, and he stressed that Serbia strongly opposes a partition of Kosovo-Metohija and that for the same reasons it is against a partition of Serbia that would come as a consequence of an independent Kosovo-Metohija.

Kostunica told reporters that the messages from his meeting with Ciampi today are very important and encouraging for Serbia and he added that the Italian president had stressed that he could not imagine a future of the Balkans that will involve the multiplication of ethnic states and further disintegration but rather that he sees linking and integration in the region.

Vojislav Kostunica and Silvio Berlusconi

Kostunica said that all three meetings that he has had with Ciampi to date took place at critical moments for Serbia and he recalled that the first one was held after the democratic changes in October 2000 and the second one in January 2002, ahead of the signing of the Belgrade Accord.

Kostunica said that at the third meeting with Ciampi today, he heard the words of friendship and understanding and that the Italian president stressed that Serbia and Montenegro should join the EU together rather than as separate states.

Kostunica and Berlusconi also discussed economic cooperation between the two countries, which has been advancing, and they agreed that the relations between the two countries are the most developed in this field.