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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

When solving Kosovo issue regional stability must be kept in mind

Belgrade, 17 February 2006

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica met today with Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE and Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht and said that in order to solve the issue of Kosovo-Metohija, it is necessary to preserve regional stability. Kostunica added that only through dialogue can Belgrade and Pristina find a compromise solution based on the universal principles of international law.

Kostunica pointed out that there must be no imposed solutions because that would cause serious consequences not only to the region, but Europe as well, adding that Serbia is ready to grant essential autonomy to Kosovo.

The Serb community in Kosovo has been deprived of basic human rights, said the Prime Minister and added that standards have not been fulfilled in the province, there has been no progress in the implementation of decentralisation and conditions for the return of displaced Serbs have not yet been provided.

He said the Serbian delegation is ready for the talks to be held in Vienna on decentralisation to begin, and recalled that the Belgrade authorities have adopted the platform for talks on the decentralisation of the province.

Head of the Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija Sanda Raskovic-Ivic also attended the meeting and briefed De Gucht on the problem with electrical energy in Serb enclaves and on frequent disruptions of phone lines which prevent the Serbs from maintaining any form of communication.

De Gucht stressed that there has been no progress in the implementation of standards in Kosovo-Metohija, nor in the protection of human rights and implementation of decentralisation.

Karel De Gucht

He welcomed the beginning of talks on decentralisation in Vienna, which are of great importance because the province's multiethnicity must be preserved.

It is necessary that Belgrade and Pristina find a solution to the Kosovo issue through dialogue, he said.

De Gucht particularly stressed that the OSCE has had highly satisfactory cooperation with the Serbian government and said he strongly supports Serbia's EU accession.