Keepin touch

Whether you have a question, comment, suggestion or any problem in the purview of the government, send us your message and we will try to respond as soon as possible. If your problem is not in our purview, we will forward your message to the relevant institution.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Solution for Kosovo-Metohija should be based on international law

Belgrade, 7 December 2005

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica met today with a delegation of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Troika headed up by Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Petros Molyviatis.

Kostunica supported the principles adopted by SEECP, the crucial one being that a solution to the Kosovo-Metohija issue must be based on international law.

Kostunica pointed out at the meeting with the delegation, which also included Romanian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Lucian Leustean and Croatian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Hidajet Biscevic, that the principles regarding the inviolability of sovereignty and territorial integrity of states represent the foundation of international law.

Kostunica stressed that Serbia is prepared to show respect for the right of ethnic Albanians to realise the highest form of autonomy and to shift considerable power to the province when it comes to governing its social and economic life, but in the same way the rights of Serbia should be respected along with its indisputable sovereignty and territorial integrity in Kosovo-Metohija.

Kostunica warned that any form of independence for Kosovo-Metohija would crush the fundamental principles of international law. As he pointed out, that would bring into question not only the stability of the region, but the whole European system as well, which relies on the respect of principles of international law.

He said that a solution cannot be imposed and a democratic state cannot be broken up by severing a part of its territory, adding that it would be a very dangerous precedent. He further said that in the eventuality that such a precedent is set, the question will arise how regional and European stability will be safeguarded afterwards.

Kostunica said at the meeting that Serbia is ready for compromise, but the compromise cannot mean independence for the province, because compromise is to be built on principles and the respect of international law, which is a necessary condition to safeguard stability.

He said that Serbia is ready to consider different kinds of models of autonomy for the province during the negotiation process, and added that a solution like that would guarantee the stability of the region.

Members of the SEECP Troika said that they are in Belgrade as neighbours and friends who are interested in securing stability in the region.

Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Petros Molyviatis said that the solution for Kosovo-Metohija should be based on international law and resolutions of the UN Security Council, as well as being viable, that is why haste and hasty decisions should be avoided. Molyviatis especially warned that any solution that can bring stability to Kosovo-Metohija should not be one that could destabilise the region.

The Troika members said that standards must actually be realised in Kosovo-Metohija and pointed out that no one in the international community can support the process of realising status without fulfilling standards.

On the issue of standards, Kostunica said that the report by the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General Kai Eide is clear. He stressed that one of the problems it mentions is that the return of the persecuted population has not been realised and that return is impossible because persecuted Serbs have no freedom to return to the places where they lived.