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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Overall progress, Serbia back on its feet, cabinet’s greatest achievements

Belgrade, 28 December 2006

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said tonight in an interview with RTS that the greatest achievements of his cabinet is the country’s overall progress and finally putting Serbia back on its feet.

Kostunica said that during this government’s mandate, a democratic and European legal order has been established, a new Constitution was adopted, the issue with Montenegro was resolved and big steps toward the EU have been made.

He particularly emphasised the country’s economic development, institutional building, resolute fight against organised crime as well as good relations in the region and a big step the country has made toward European integration.

Kostunica said that economic indicators and large foreign investments are evidence of that and recalled the signing of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), reliable supply of gas by Russian Gazprom as well as Serbian investment abroad such as the acquisition of Telekom Srpske by Telekom Srbija.

Kostunica described life today as more stable and more peaceful, noting that citizens today feel safer as we are largely tackling corruption and organised crime and respecting the law at the same time.

Asked whether corruption and the mafia are choking Serbia today, the Serbian Prime Minister responded that quite opposite is – that the mafia has been broken into pieces whilst state authorities are successfully fighting corruption.

Serbia is successfully fighting all forms of mafia and leads the region when it comes to fighting the drug mafia, Kostunica stressed.

According to Kostunica, in a government of clean hands, there are none who could be called favoured or those spared from respect of the law.

There was no influence of money and corruption on the government. All government bodies started the fight and the results can be seen, particularly of late, Kostunica pointed out and added that difficult years are behind us but warned that the consequences of these years will be felt in the future as well.

Perhaps more might have been done, however we did begin with a lot of things and we simply could not have concluded all the work, said the Prime Minister.

Speaking about Kosovo-Metohija, Kostunica said that the international community is beginning to understand the importance and the strength of Serbia’s argument that international law must be respected in the case of the southern Serbian province.

He also said it is encouraging that the international community has begun to view Serbia and the Kosovo issue in a different light, as well as the fact that an increasing number of countries understand Serbia and support it.

According to Kostunica, this was most likely achieved thanks to the insistence of Serbian state institutions, the negotiating team and individuals who were persistent to prove that international law must be respected and that if one concession is made, others will inevitably follow.

Kostunica added that the unique stance in Serbia regarding the Kosovo issue also contributed to this effect, as well as the adoption of the New Constitution where the Preamble states that Kosovo-Metohija is a part of Serbia.

The Prime Minister reiterated that the Kosovo issue is clear – either Serbia will consent to a seizure of a portion of its territory, agreeing to a breach of international law, or it will oppose it.

Serbia has opposed it and has done this with the force of legal documents, stressed Kostunica. He explained that a turning point in the international community’s opinion came about when Serbia said “yes” to the respect of international law and “no” to breaching it, as well as when many countries started contemplating the fact that such a precedent could affect them in the future and could be applied to a portion of their own territories.

Kostunica pointed out that at the moment Serbia has a powerful ally in the Contact Group – Russia, and friends in the Security Council – China, as well as in a wider neighbourhood, namely Slovakia, Romania and Spain.

These countries emphasize the fact that the foundations, on which the entire international order rests and which include territorial integrity and sovereignty, cannot be neglected when it comes to Kosovo-Metohija, concluded Kostunica.

He also expressed the conviction that the last of Serbia’s obligations to the Hague tribunal could have been fulfilled more easily if negotiations on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU had continued.

If those negotiations with Serbia had continued, then the obligation regarding the arrest and handing over of Ratko Mladic to The Hague, could have been fulfilled far more easily in a different atmosphere of cooperation with the EU, said Kostunica.

He stressed that in a different atmosphere, one of cooperation, a lot more can be done. Kostunica added that the continuation of those negotiations, despite the unfulfilled last condition by The Hague, was very important, which is something that an increasing number of EU countries have also seen.

The Serbian Prime Minister pointed to the fact that all those conditions which other countries had to fulfill before joining the EU should also be applicable to Serbia, and many of those conditions, particularly those regarding fight against corruption and organised crime, have been fulfilled by Serbia to a much greater degree than by other countries which have entered, or are about to enter the EU.

However, one condition was set for Serbia above all others, which is the arrest and transfer of Ratko Mladic to The Hague, and that condition has become more important than all others, said Kostunica.

It is our priority that cooperation with The Hague be completed and the Mladic case resolved, and there is no dilemma regarding that, stressed Kostunica, adding that absolute political will exists for concluding cooperation, but there are a few technical limitations in the matter.

According to Kostunica, arresting Mladic is our duty and obligation and Serbia does not deny that.

The Prime Minister also said that Serbia should remain unified and undivided after the new elections, and political differences should serve to develop the country.

It is my wish that political divisions in Serbia become normal differences among people who are political opponents, not political enemies, said Kostunica.

He warned that there is not a single country which can allow itself the luxury of being divided, and only a single unified Serbia exists above all divisions, with all political differences which should be, in a certain manner, a moving force, and not something which leads to conflicts.

According to Kostunica, it is very important to be aware that Serbia is one and cannot be divided, and her strength and beauty should be in that diversity, which will never divide us and lead us into new wars, but will allow the country to develop.

Kostunica expressed the conviction that we are entering that era, which is very important, and that it will mark the future development of Serbia.