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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Second and third part of the platform on future status of Kosovo presented

Belgrade, 30 May 2006

Members of the Team for political negotiations on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic and Leon Kojen presented today the second and third part of the Platform of the state negotiating team on the future status of Kosovo.

Leon Kojen and Slobodan Samardzic

Samardzic told a news conference that this part of the Platform, adopted on January 5 this year, aims to avoid two extremes when it comes to Kosovo-Metohija. One extreme is the province's status from 1989 to 1999, and the other is independence. Between them there is a large space in which Kosovo's specific status can be negotiated, which entails wide autonomy which would be internationally guaranteed.

Samardzic explained that this document proposes the conclusion of an international agreement that would result from the negotiations on Kosovo status that are being conducted between representatives of Belgrade and Pristina, with the mediation of the international community. The agreement would be signed by Serbia and the United Nations, as two competent subjects of international law.

According to him, the agreement would contain basic principles and concrete provisions on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija, as well as on the position of Serbs and other peoples and communities in Kosovo. Those solutions would be included in the Serbian constitution and future constitution of Kosovo.

Samardzic added that the international community, apart from being a guarantor of one such agreement, would also have some concrete obligations during its implementation that concern security.

Kojen specified that the formula "more than autonomy and less than independence", which is the gist of Serbian leadership's position on the resolution of the Kosovo issue, is explained in detail in the second and third part of the Platform, with very precise definitions of "less than independence" and "more than autonomy."

He stressed that according to this document, Serbia keeps basic elements of sovereignty and pointed out that the Platform clearly specifies that "the competencies in the field of foreign affairs, border control, protection of human rights in the final instance, monetary policy, customs policy, protection of the Serbian religious and cultural heritage, as well as special border inspection tasks would be carried out by Serbia and the state union of Serbia-Montenegro, depending on the constitutional division of competencies."

Kojen stressed that defence as one of crucial competencies is not mentioned in the Platform and explained that this document envisions the complete demilitarisation of the province. There would be no military forces in Kosovo-Metohija, neither Serbian nor Albanian, Kojen said.

The document also envisions economic reintegration of Kosovo within Serbia, Kojen said and explained the stand of state leadership that such reintegration is not only in the interest of Kosovo and Serbia but also in the interest of the whole region, particularly in the energy sector.

Speaking on “more than autonomy” provision, Kojen said that Kosovo Albanians are offered international guarantees so that they can be sure that this solution, if they accept it, will not change without their consent and without the consent of the international factor.

Secondly, the internal demilitarisation should assure them that there will be no military intervention from Serbian forces in Kosovo-Metohija, but on the other hand, they must renounce their intention to make their own army, Kojen said. In other words, Kosovo Albanians must not use force to solve political or other conflicts in the province, as happened in March 2004, he added.

They are offered the political maximum that an ethnic community can get within one state, Kojen said and noted that political representation of Kosovo-Metohija in Serbia’s state bodies is not necessary for the functioning of either central or provincial authorities.

According to Kojen, this would meet the demands of Kosovo Albanians and would also not deter Serbian state institutions. However, Kosovo Albanians would have to respect main elements of Serbia’s state sovereignty, Kojen pointed out.