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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia rejects imposing solution and seizing part of its territory

Belgrade, 21 November 2005

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said today in his address to members of the Serbian parliament that Serbia is ready, capable and determined to reach a compromise and historically just solution to Kosovo-Metohija issue, and that it is equally determined to unquestioningly and permanently reject any attempt of imposing a solution to the Kosovo-Metohija issue and seizing a part of its territory.

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica addresses the parliament

The Prime Minister addressed the parliament at today’s session devoted to the Draft resolution on a mandate for political talks on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija.

Kostunica said that today’s session of the Serbian parliament bears historic significance, since it is devoted to the discussion on a resolution that will determine the future of the country and all its citizens.

He pointed out that Kosovo-Metohija is part of Serbia, not just of its past, but its present and future as well. “What we are discussing here today is Kosovo-Metohija, our people, our territory, our tradition and culture – in fact our very roots and identity”, recalled the Prime Minister. “Therefore, esteemed representatives of people, today we discuss Serbia itself and our very lives. Such grave decisions are put in front of the highest representative body of a country only in its crucial moments. I have no doubt that we all understand the character of this moment as well as the significance of the decision the parliament needs to reach”, said the Prime Minister.

“At the very beginning, esteemed members of parliament, it is of crucial importance to put forward our position by adopting the resolution, and that implies two key things. First, that Serbia is ready, capable and determined to reach a compromise and historically just solution to the Kosovo-Metohija issue, and second, that Serbia is equally determined to reject, unquestioningly and permanently, any attempt of imposing a solution and seizing a part of its territory.

“That means that Serbia firmly supports compromise, justice and observance of international law and order. We strongly believe that those principles are ironclad and superior to all kinds of legal violence and use of force as argument in general. As legal violence and use of force are not considered arguments at all, the principles we rely on are, without exception, those that lie at the core of the international order and that all democratic countries in the world consistently abide by and uncompromisingly defend when their existence is at stake”, Kostunica stressed.

The Prime Minister pointed out that Serbia’s task in the upcoming talks on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija will be manifold and added that the existence of independent Kosovo would deprive of sense and invalidate basic principles upon which Serbia and whole international order rest.

“Independent Kosovo would actually show that violence, ruthless violation of human rights, ethnic cleansing and cultural genocide are acceptable means of achieving one-sided and exclusive aims”, warned the Prime Minister and added that the existence of independent Kosovo would challenge many common values and undermine the very roots of international order.

According to the Prime Minister, in the framework of an existing international order, independent Kosovo would openly challenge the principles that lie in its core. He pointed out that it would not only represent the violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, but basic principles of human and minority rights as well.

The Prime Minister stressed that Serbia with due right insists on the highest possible form of autonomy for Kosovo as the only form that promises a compromise, permanent and peaceful solution, and that a policy of Serbia, regardless of the use of different terminology, is summarised in the position that the Serbian community must have autonomy within the essential autonomy of Kosovo-Metohija.

Kostunica recalled that the UN Security Council, at its session held on October 24, reached a decision to start talks on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija, respecting Resolution 1244, and added that there is not a single word in the text of the resolution that would even hint at the possibility of Kosovo independence, either conditional or unconditional.

In the Prime Minister’s opinion, Resolution 1244 undeniably represents the basis for resolving the issue of Kosovo’s future status and therefore it is of crucial importance that the document, on one hand, explicitly confirms sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia in Kosovo-Metohija and on the other, does not hint at the possibility of self-determination.

The Prime Minister recalled the exile of more than 200,000 Serbs and non-ethnic Albanians from the province following the arrival of international forces, the killings of non-ethnic Albanians in the last six and a half years, the devastation of orthodox objects of worship and seizure and destruction of properties of Kosovo Serbs.

“It is clear that all this is the result of violence of ethnic Albanian secessionists and their intention to sever the territory of Kosovo-Metohija from Serbia and the State Union of Serbia-Montenegro by applying constant terror”, stressed Kostunica and added that Serbia stands witness of ethnic cleansing of Serbs in the name of creating independent Kosovo.

Kostunica expressed conviction that through the position enshrined in the resolution on Kosovo-Metohija, Serbia defends not only its national and state interests, but principles and values on which peace, stability and security of the modern world rests.