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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia ready to annul possible decision to proclaim Kosovo independent

Belgrade, 12 June 2007

Serbian Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic said today that Serbia would immediately declare null and void a possible decision by ethnic Albanians to declare the Serbian southern province independent.

Samardzic said in an interview to the Beta news agency that Serbia has to prepare itself for something like that because such a threat exists and that it is good to state Serbia's position in advance to those who want to do that, ie to institutions in Pristina and countries that would recognise independence.

According to him, the state of Serbia would be fully entitled to such an act because the possible declaration of independence would take place in the territory of Serbia which is an internationally recognised and sovereign state.

The Serbian government and all state organs support this decision, the Minister said and underlined that in the talks about Kosovo, Serbia defends its state interests and its right to refer to international law.

We act in such a way as to call on other participants in the process to defend their rights and international law. We are warning of a very dangerous precedent, of possible massive violation of the basic right of states and nations, in case of which the entire structure of the international legal system would be undermined and consequences would be terrible, Samardzic warned.

The Minister said that Belgrade will additionally explain its platform for negotiations and voiced hope that the US, through the mediation of Russia, will take it into consideration.

That could create space for additional negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina which should not be expected to take place soon, but everything that was missed while Ahtisaari was the mediator could be made up for, Samardzic said and underlined that a result can be achieved in non-fictitious talks.