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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia holds to principles of law and justice consistently and unwaveringly

Orasac, 15 February 2007

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said today that Serbia holds to the principles of law and justice unwaveringly, consistently, with unity, and with the same determination it rejects the proposal to tear up the country, a proposal which is based on the arguments of force and legal aggression.

Vojislav Kostunica speaks on the occasion of the Serbian Statehood Day celebration in Orasac

Speaking on the occasion of the Serbian Statehood Day celebration in Orasac, Kostunica stressed that Serbia has an obligation to warn of the dangerous and far reaching consequences of the forcible breaking up of a European and democratic state, and also that Serbia will not agree to become an accessory to such aggression at any cost.

He said that Serbia is completely convinced that only through negotiations, by upholding the Serbian Constitution, the UN Charter and principles of international law, can an acceptable and viable solution be reached for Kosovo-Metohija.

In Orasac, Serbia is celebrating the moment when her renewal began as a free and sovereign state in its entirety, and as we observe this occasion our thoughts, above all, are turned towards our homeland, the southern part of our country, our Kosovo-Metohija, stressed Kostunica.

Precisely at this place, where our nation began the battle for freedom and the renewal of our country, it is important to reiterate that Serbia unwaveringly, consistently and with unity holds to the principles of law and justice, and with similar determination rejects the proposal which is based on arguments of force and legal aggression, directed towards tearing up the country, stressed the Prime Minister.

According to Kostunica, anyone who dares to seize a part of Serbia’s territory must remember that they are taking upon themselves the responsibility of that violence.

Serbia is sincerely committed to finding a lasting and just solution and that is why we have proposed that Kosovo-Metohija is given substantial autonomy, the highest degree of autonomy being offered today to a national minority in Europe, stressed Kostunica.

He explained that that solution leads to peace, stability and a future based on democratic principles, for our nation as well as for the ethnic-Albanian minority in Kosovo-Metohija.

Our glorious predecessors, with their leader Karadjordje at the forefront, fearlessly battled against aggression, injustice, anarchy and violence, said the Prime Minister. He added that they displayed not just courage but also wisdom and foresight, which should be an example to their descendants.

They rejected all privileges for individuals and apparent relief for the people, which were offered in exchange for, what is termed today, as being constructive and realistic, said the Prime Minister, and added that they did not even think of abandoning their statehood and the right to live freely, in harmony and equality in their country, which belonged to them for many centuries.

With full conviction we say once again that we do not have the right to abandon and shall not ever give up a single part of our country, especially not the part which is the cradle of our nation, Kosovo-Metohija, said Kostunica.

At the same time, he recalled that just as Serbian parliament unanimously adopted the St. Demetrius’ Day Constitution, the newly formed parliament has unanimously declared Kosovo-Metohija an unalienable part of Serbia, and the idea of signing something which not a single Serb would ever sign has been rejected.

Today we do not need to be told to be realistic, the greatest and most universal reality for Serbia on which the real world around us is based, is that Kosovo-Metohija is an integral part of our territory, said the Prime Minister.

He pointed to the fact that for Serbia the most constructive move is to advocate the fundamental principles of order in the world, which are put forward by international law.

According to Kostunica, Orasac is the right place and this is right moment in which to reiterate that the great forces of the past tried to convince Karadjordje and the insurgents that it was not constructive and realistic to renew Serbian statehood at a time when there were only a handful of serious states in Europe.

He stressed that at the time Serbia succeeded in renewing its statehood, holding to the principles of law and justice and by opposing brute force.

Today Serbia, in the same state building spirit which rose up in Orasac more than two centuries ago, is defending the most shining principles of law and justice in Kosovo-Metohija, with the conviction that a compromise and a historically just solution must be found for the future, concluded Kostunica.

The central celebration of the Serbian Statehood Day and the 203rd anniversary of the First Serbian Uprising began this morning with a holy liturgy in the Vaznesenja Gospodnjeg (God's Ascension) Church which was served by Bishop of Sumadija Jovan with the clergy of the Sumadija eparchy.

The liturgy was attended, besides Kostunica, by Serbian Minister of Defence Zoran Stankovic, Prince Aleksandar Karadjordjevic accompanied by spouse Katarina, envoy of Serbian President Trivo Indjic, chair of Serbian parliament Borka Vucic, as well as Serbian ministers Dragan Jocic, Predrag Bubalo, Zoran Loncar, Radomir Naumov, Zoran Stojkovic and Velimir Ilic, and representatives of the Serbian Army.

Following the liturgy, Bishop Jovan held the memorial service in Maricevica Jaruga for the leader of the First Serbian Uprising Karadjordje and the insurgents, who on Sretenje Gospodnje Day (the Visitation of the Virgin Mary) in 1804, started the battle for freedom from the five century long rule by the Turks and the renewal of Serbia as a state.

Wreaths were laid with the highest military honours on the Karadjordje monument by the Serbian Prime Minister, Stankovic, Indjic, Borka Vucic and a delegation of the municipality of Arandjelovac.

Later Kostunica, Prince Aleksandar Karadjordjevic and representatives of the Serbian Army and the municipality of Topola laid laurel wreaths on the tomb of Karadjordje in the Church of St George in Oplenac, Topola.

The Sretenje Gospodnje Day was declared as the Serbian Statehood Day on July 10, 2001, in memory of February 15, 1804, when in Orasac, under the leadership of Djordje Petrovic Karadjordje, the First Serbian Uprising began.