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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbian government convinced Security Council will respect UN Charter

Belgrade, 18 May 2007

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said today that Serbia is willing to participate in new negotiations to find a compromise solution for the issue of Kosovo-Metohija, and expressed the conviction that the Security Council will never adopt a resolution which proposes seizure of 15% of the territory of a UN member state.

In an interview for the Tanjug news agency, Kostunica reminded that the Serbian government’s policy is based on five clear programme principles, among which, naturally, the issue of Kosovo-Metohija is in the first place.

He explained that due to this, in the programme which he presented before Serbian parliament, he defined at the very beginning that the primary aim of the government is that in every part of Serbia, in Gracanica, Strpce, Kosovska-Mitrovica, as well as in Bujanovac, Knjazevac, Loznica and Subotica, people must live better, more peacefully and safely.

The Serbian Prime Minister stressed that it is known where the internationally recognised borders of Serbia are, and added that the utmost aim of the government is that employment is increased for people living throughout the territory of Serbia and their overall living standard is significantly improved.

According to Kostunica, Serbia shows full readiness to begin new negotiations to find a compromise solution for the future status of the province.

He said that more than 10,000 persecuted Serbs had gathered at the administrative line attempting to meet with members of the Security Council mission to inform them that they are being persecuted and are not allowed to return to their homes. He stressed that precisely due to that the best basis for new talks should be a comprehensive assessment of implementation of standards defined in the UN SC Resolution 1244.

The Serbian government is firmly convinced that the Security Council will respect the UN Charter and will never adopt a resolution which proposes seizure of 15% of the territory of a UN member state, reiterated the Prime Minister.

He explained that that conviction is based on the fact that there are states, such as Russia, which in the Security Council will uphold the basic principles of international law which are fundamental to the entire world order.

At the same time, Kostunica recalled that the Serbian government’s policy on Kosovo-Metohija is in harmony with Russia’s position and that the policy is based on the respect of the UN Charter and the principled stand that the borders of a sovereign country cannot be unilaterally altered and its territory seized.

The Serbian Prime Minister considers it an especially important fact that the government’s programme states in advance that any unilateral declaration and recognition of independence for the province will be invalid for Serbia.

According to Kostunica, unilateral independence is an entirely unreal and invalid concept, and will be regarded as such by Serbia.

Therefore, every Serbian citizen in Kosovo-Metohija must also, like the Serbian government, consider any unilateral declaration of independence which might take place as null and void since Kosovo-Metohija will always remain an integral and unalienable part of Serbia, concluded Kostunica.