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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia proposes European solution to Kosovo status

Belgrade, 24 May 2007

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic opened the session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s (PACE) Standing Committee and said that Serbia’s priorities during its chairmanship over the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers will be to promote essential values of the Council of Europe, increase citizen safety, build a more humane Europe and strengthen cooperation in the region.

René Van der Linden, Oliver Dulic and Vuk Jeremic

Author: Tanjug

Jeremic said in his speech that Serbia is offering a European solution to Kosovo-Metohija status and that Belgrade’s proposal respects Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and at the same time enables its ethnic Albanian citizens in Kosovo-Metohija to realise their legitimate demands for substantial self-government.

He voiced hope that a compromise solution may still be achieved through talks between Belgrade and Pristina and added he expects understanding and support of the Council of Europe when the talks resume.

The Serbian foreign minister said that UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari’s plan, in the form it was submitted to the UN Security Council, proposes “independence for Kosovo-Metohija”, which is nothing more than an act of violent division of Serbia.

It would be the first time in history that a sovereign state is having a portion of its territory taken away against the will of its democratic government in order to indulge secessionist aspirations of an ethnic group, said Jeremic.

He stressed that Serbia is completely devoted to full and instantaneous cooperation with the Hague Tribunal and that all indictees must be located, arrested and extradited to the Tribunal.

This is not only an international, but also a moral obligation towards our neighbours, the world and ourselves, Jeremic said and added that justice can be fulfilled only if Serbia completely severs its ties with its recent past.

PACE President René Van der Linden said that Serbia is a part of Europe and added his hopes that Serbia’s talks on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU will soon resume.

He stressed that Serbia’s chairmanship over the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly is an opportunity for Serbia, and its obligation as well, to demonstrate that it is also a part of Europe.

Serbian Parliament Speaker Oliver Dulic stressed that Serbia is a young democratic country but it will do its best to strengthen the basic values of the Council of Europe – human rights protection, democracy and the rule of law.

Dulic said that the new Serbian government is devoted to fulfilling Serbia’s European perspective and added that during his chairmanship over Serbian parliament he will strive to round up the legal framework necessary for achieving this goal.

Serbia’s presidency over the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers will last from May until November this year under the slogan “One Europe – Our Europe”. Serbia took over its six month chairmanship on May 11.