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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

New Kosovo talks only under mandate of Security Council

Belgrade, 24 July 2007

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said today addressing Serbian parliament members that new negotiations on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija can be conducted only under the mandate of the Security Council and that the only possible basis for those negotiations is Resolution 1244.

The Serbian government's official website brings the speech of Vojislav Kostunica in full:

"Esteemed parliament members,

I am convinced that this is the best moment for Serbian parliament to review the previous and determine the future policy of Serbia in resolving our most important state and national issue, and that is the issue of the future status of the province of Kosovo-Metohija.

This Serbian parliament session is held several days after an important, and maybe as it will later turn out to be, crucial event that took place in the Security Council. Namely, after a long battle which lasted since the UN Secretary-General appointed Martti Ahtisaari international mediator, the US and European co-sponsors of the resolution on independent Kosovo decided to withdraw their proposal from the Security Council.

There is no need to doubt that the proposed draft resolution aimed to secure the beginning of the process of an independent Kosovo-Metohija. Therefore, it is clear that the withdrawal of the resolution from the Security Council represents a significant victory of Serbia and is a result of the common policy of Serbia and Russia, whose aim is the protection of the UN Charter and defence of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state. We can say with certainty that with this victory, the first phase of the defence of Kosovo-Metohija is complete.

Vojislav Kostunica addresses Serbian parliament

But we know very well, esteemed parliament members, that an even more difficult battle is ahead of us and even greater tribulations, in order to keep Kosovo-Metohija within Serbia's borders. But if we look back and see what we have managed to do in the past several years just because we have been united, then there is a hope that with joint forces, composed of entire Serbia, we still can achieve our greatest national and state goal.

Just as this is the right place for saying this, thus Serbian parliament is the right place from which I want to call on all citizens of Serbia, all institutions and all social, economic and cultural organisations, and of course all political parties, to show true patriotism and unity in just efforts to keep Serbia in its internationally recognised borders.

I call on true patriotism because Serbia does not want to take away anything from anyone, but to keep what belongs to her under the UN Charter, the Serbian Constitution and democratic values and rules that are applied throughout the world. We have the strongest weapon and that is law and justice. During the past period we have seen what efforts the politics of force made in favour of independent Kosovo, but in the end force remained powerless before the arguments of law and justice.

This is the right occasion to remind ourselves of several important facts which marked the first phase of the negotiating process which is complete. You will remember that in early February, when elections were not completed, let alone new government formed, Ahtisaari brought to Belgrade, as he said, a fair proposal on independent Kosovo. You will also remember that Ahtisaari insisted on coming precisely in early February because the negotiating process allegedly had to be completed by the end of June. Today is July 24 and owing to a sensible, consistent, patient and determined common policy of Serbia's state institutions we are at the beginning of a new negotiating process for resolution of the province's future administration. For this new page in the fight for Kosovo, Serbian parliament must, with its resolution, establish continuation of the policy that will be based precisely on the sensibility, consistency, patience and determination expressed so far.

It is natural to expect that Martti Ahtisaari will not take part in the new negotiating process and that his role ended with the withdrawal of the resolution that was based on his plan from the Security Council. With this Ahtisaari's era is finally over and his plan is now part of the past.

On the eve of new negotiations, most important of all is to establish a platform for the talks that could lead the two sides to a compromise solution. The only real road in establishing the basis for negotiations leads us to the UN Resolution 1244. The essential elements of Resolution 1244 represent the only possible basis for successful negotiations.

This Resolution has three key elements: the first is that sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia are explicitly confirmed, the second that the solution is in the essential autonomy for the province and the third, which is especially important, that independence of Kosovo-Metohija is not mentioned anywhere in the Resolution. Starting from these three essential elements of Resolution 1244, Serbia will play a constructive part in the new negotiating process.

It goes without saying that new negotiations can be conducted only under the mandate of the Security Council because only this supreme UN body has the mandate to make decisions on the future status of the province. The role of the Contact Group has been very important in the process so far in directing the negotiations. Besides, the Security Council approved "the guiding principles" of the Contact Group as a kind of guideline for the talks. The Contact Group had been working unanimously until Ahtisaari made a plan on the province's independence, which the Contact Group did not adopt. Serbia expects the Contact Group to be active, but that the entire new negotiating process is held under the clear mandate of the Security Council. It is natural and logical that only on the basis of a compromise solution reached by the two sides can the new resolution of the Security Council be adopted.

In the new process of negotiations it is especially important that all things are called by their proper names. And that means that there is no Kosovo-Metohija issue since what is in question is an inalienable and inseparable part of Serbia. There is another point – the open question of the Albanian ethnic minority in the province and it is necessary that, through constructive dialogue, a proper solution is found for this issue. It is a historical fact that the Albanian peoples have already exercised their right to self determination, then when the state of Albania was created.

In any case, nowhere in the world has a single ethnic minority the right to self determination and to break up an internationally recognised country. The question is to which extent any country could manage to safeguard its borders if every ethnic minority in Europe and the world began to exercise self determination. Saying that the Albanian ethnic minority is a special minority and has special rights, just as Serbia is a special country and can be broken up, and asserting that such an event will never happen anywhere again, is the certain beginning of undermining the very fundaments upon which the peace and stability of the existing international order rests. Serbia calls on European states which have developed systems of autonomy for their ethnic minorities to tell us: “We have thus resolved the question of our ethnic minorities, why does Serbia not adopt such a model?” And we instantly and in advance give the answer that Serbia is ready to accept any form of autonomy which exists today in Europe. Who may challenge the fact that this is the European way of resolving the problem of the status of the Albanian ethnic minority in Kosovo-Metohija?

Honourable members, it is important that we mention the two kinds of threats being made by Albanian separatists. The first is their favourite threat that they will resort to extreme violence if they are not granted independence and that in fact innocent victims will themselves be responsible for this violence. The international community which has taken full responsibility to secure peace in the province is obligated to react firmly and clearly to this brutal blackmail by Albanian separatists.

The other threat is the announcements made by Albanian separatists that they will unilaterally declare independence. The tradition of empty threats of declaring independence is a long one in Kosovo-Metohija and it is clear that the Serbian government will instantly annul such an illegal act. We cannot, unfortunately rule out the possibility that a certain number of countries acknowledge the unilaterally declared independence of the province. We have seen such announcements, so far ambiguous, coming from certain countries.

We ask, honourable members of parliament, what would in fact the recognition of a unilateral declaration of the independence of Kosovo-Metohija mean? It would mean that when advocates of the use of force see that their plan cannot get necessary legal legitimacy in the Security Council, they simply decide to violate the decision of the Security Council. That would not be just a violation of the Security Council decision but directly undermine the authority of an international organisation and send an open message that the use of force is opposing the valid order outlined in the UN. In other words, in this dangerous scenario it would come to the creation of new rules according to which any aim that might not be approved by the Security Council through the regular manner could be realised through other means, at the cost of direct invalidation of institutions and UN rules.

It is our duty while there is still enough time, to patiently and persistently explain that the decision on the future regulation of the province cannot be brought anywhere except in the Security Council, and that that solution must be in accordance with the UN Charter. Not a single state, no matter how powerful, can allow its policies to have precedence over the UN. And any recognition of unilateral independence of Kosovo-Metohija would not mean anything but use of force. Let this House today clearly and firmly state that Serbia in advance rejects the use of force as well as any recognition of unilateral independence which would stem from such legal aggression.

All countries which wish to have normal and friendly relations with Serbia will have to, when it comes to our country, respect the UN Charter and the Security Council resolutions which guarantee the inviolability of the internationally recognised borders and territorial integrity of Serbia. It would be particularly important that NATO countries, which took military action against Serbia without the approval of the Security Council, strictly follow the rules of the UN Charter and the Resolution 1244, so that in no manner should the air strikes against Serbia be connected with the attempt to declare the province independent.

Our citizens should know that advocates of an independent Kosovo-Metohija among the international community are conducting a merciless fight in order to realise their aims. That is how the usual objection has been made that Serbia knows what it doesn’t want but does not what it does want, and that Serbia has not presented a single solution for the province. The truth is that we, as opposed to the Albanian side whose entire platform is based on the word independence, have offered a clear and concrete solution in the form of substantial autonomy for Kosovo-Metohija. This solution, developed in detail, is the platform of the state negotiating team which was adopted at the beginning of 2006.

That is why Serbia demands and once again expects the international community to listen very carefully and consider our proposal for resolving the future status of the province. The time has come for real negotiations, and if there is good will a solution may indeed be found which could satisfy the basic interests of the Albanian side and Serbia. We can and must reach such a solution also because the peace and stability of the entire region is at stake.

Honourable members, I call upon you to support the resolution proposed which establishes the policy for resolving the future regulation of our southern province. Only here in the national parliament may we unite and transcend all party differences when it comes to the question of preserving Kosovo-Metohija within the borders of Serbia. Unity within parliament has brought forth great results and has played a huge role in every success which we have achieved until now. I especially remind you that the invaluable support of our allies in the fight for Kosovo-Metohija will, in good measure, depend also on our unity. Thus we are additionally obliged to do everything in our power to ensure that Serbia succeeds in safeguarding its internationally recognised borders.

Serbia today in its parliament confirms that Kosovo- Metohija is built deep into the foundations of the state of Serbia, and that Kosovo-Metohija is the collective name for our national existence, culture, faith, our history and our future. Honourable members of parliament, if Kosovo-Metohija were meant to be independent, someone before us would have decided to grant it independence. This generation cannot and will not give Kosovo-Metohija away, and if we do not give it away, we may be certain that Kosovo-Metohija shall always be in Serbia.

Thank you,” concludes the speech by the Serbian Prime Minister.