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Belgrade ready for new negotiations with Pristina to reach compromise solution

Belgrade/Ljubljana, 16 July 2007

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic voiced hope today in Ljubljana that the UN Security Council will not adopt the new US-European draft resolution on Kosovo-Metohija and reiterated that Serbia will not accept independence of its southern province.

Vuk Jeremic, left, and Janez Jansa

Author: Tanjug

Speaking at a joint press conference with Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel held after their meeting, Jeremic said that Belgrade is ready to hold new negotiations with Pristina in order to quickly reach a compromise on the province's future status.

According to him, Serbia is against the plan of UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari on monitored independence of Kosovo.

Jeremic, who is on a one-day working visit to Slovenia, repeated that it is crucial that the future of the southern province be resolved in a way that will not destabilise the Western Balkans.

Rupel said that the EU has largest responsibility for the future of the Western Balkans, Serbia and Kosovo-Metohija and pointed out that the EU must have a united position as regards to the future status of Kosovo-Metohija.

The Serbian Foreign Minister also talked today in Ljubljana with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa and Parliament Speaker France Cukjati about Serbia's European future and Slovenia's EU Presidency, Kosovo-Metohija and bilateral relations between Slovenia and Serbia.

After the talks, Jeremic visited the Centre for European Future at the Jable castle near Ljubljana.

Jeremic conveyed to Slovenian officials Belgrade's position that a compromising solution for Kosovo's status must be found and asked Ljubljana's support for that position.

The Minister said that his collocutors agreed that it is necessary to continue negotiations but that they should not be prolonged infinitely.

According to him, Serbia expects Slovenia to have more understanding than other EU member states because it shares a common past with Serbia and it can more easily understand the problem and delicacy of the situation in the western Balkans.

Speaking about bilateral relations, Jeremic said that Slovenia is one of the most important investors in Serbia and that in the meantime several Serbian companies showed interest in investing in Slovenia, for which the Slovenian government expressed support.

The signing of an interstate agreement on social insurance was also discussed during today's talks. Negotiations on this matter should begin in early autumn.

Minister Jeremic today raised the issue of recognition of national minority status to the Serbs in Slovenia, since Slovenians in Serbia have been given that status.

I also spoke about introducing the Serbian language as an optional subject for elementary schools in Slovenia because something like that already exists in Serbia when it comes to the Slovenian language, Jeremic said and added that he was given guarantees that this will start to be realised in September this year.

During today's talks, Jeremic raised the issue of implementation of the decision of the Slovenian Constitutional Court regarding the "deleted" Slovenian citizens of Serbian origin during Slovenia's secession.