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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

One-sided recognition of Kosovo independence would violate Resolution 1244

Belgrade, 24 May 2007

Serbian Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic warned today that one-sided recognition of Kosovo's independence would mean illegal violation of Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council and basic principles of the Contact Group which serve as a framework for the solution to the Kosovo crisis.

Speaking at a roundtable called "Causes, the character and consequences of the crisis in Kosovo-Metohija", held in the Serbian Army Centre, Samardzic said that it would be difficult for some leading countries of Western Europe, like France, to make that step.

He explained that this would mean returning to the period from March to June 1999 when it was attempted to solve the crisis in an illegal way and to impose the solution by bombing our country without the decision of the UN Security Council.

The Minister recalled that with Resolution 1244, resolution of Kosovo problem was returned to a legal course and explained that a one-sided recognition of Kosovo independence would mean a violation of this resolution, but the first principle of the Contact Group as well, according to which there can be no return to the situation before 1999.

Samardzic warned that the second principle of the Contact Group would also be violated, according to which Kosovo-Metohija cannot be divided.

He explained that Serbia's strategy is not a division, but essential autonomy for its southern province, adding that in the case of one-sided recognition, the authority of Kosovo Albanians could not include the Serbian population.

He said that such a one-sided solution would also violate the third principle of the Contact Group, according to which Kosovo cannot be united with the neighbouring countries or parts of those countries because then Resolution 1244 would cease to be valid, as well as the Kumanovo agreement which is in force. In that case, the borders of western Macedonia, northern Albania and Montenegro would be called into question.

The Minister said that many western analysts also warn that independence of Kosovo is the worst possible solution. If that happened, those who insist on the principles which are used for finding a just and acceptable solution would violate them and thus contradict themselves, and voiced hope that this will not happen.