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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Unilateral declaration of Kosovo-Metohija independence would violate UN Charter and threaten peace, stability

Brussels, 12 September 2007

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said today in Brussels after meeting with European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering that Serbia is no threat to anyone and is facing a threat by some international political factors that would unilaterally recognise declaration of Kosovo-Metohija’s independence.

Vojislav Kostunica

Author: Tanjug

Kostunica, who is on a one-day visit to Brussels, said that Serbia is exposed to many threats of unilateral recognition of the province’s independence such as statements that if Kosovo does not become independent, Albanians will be displeased and take to arms, noting that those are threats to Serbia, but also to basic documents of international law.

Serbia is worried after statements about unilateral recognition. We think that the international community and the EU should send a clear warning that any unilateral recognition of Kosovo-Metohija independence not only is against UN Charter, but also endangers the stability of the region and the world in general, the Prime Minister said.

Kostunica said that he told Pöttering that Serbia is strongly in favour of negotiations, as it has been so far, and that we expect direct negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina at the end of September in New York.

Kostunica recalled that the EU founding charter supports the UN Charter and the Helsinki Charter when it comes to territorial integrity and sovereignty of states and that the Serbian position is that a compromise can easily be achieved if that principle is respected.

He added that Serbia prepared thorough and detailed institutional mechanisms for the functioning of essential autonomy for Kosovo-Metohija within Serbia, which would enable the province to develop freely without jeopardising Serbia’s territorial integrity.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Martti Ahtisaari plan failed as it was not adopted by the UN Security Council and because it disrespected the UN Charter.

Speaking on participation of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija elections scheduled for November 17, Kostunica said that Belgrade will present its official position today after consultations of the government with the Serbian President.

According to Kostunica, Kosovo-Metohija has not seen enough local, municipal reforms nor changes in the position of Serbs and other non-Albanians and return of IDPs as guaranteed by the UN SC Resolution 1244.

Pöttering said that there are 110 days more for negotiations and expressed hope that an agreement in the UN SC is still possible.

He stressed that European Parliament wants the stabilisation and association process with Serbia to be completed successfully but requires Ratko Mladic’s handover to the Hague tribunal.

Vojislav Kostunica and Javier Solana

Author: Tanjug

Following today’s meeting with EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana he stressed that the negotiating process on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija must be concluded in the Security Council.

Kostunica pointed to the fact that the plan by Martti Ahtisaari, which was not approved a few months ago by the Security Council cannot be a basis for a successful solution in that body, and any solution outside the Security Council would have very dangerous consequences.

Solana said that the EU will refrain from issuing statements which could prejudice the outcome of negotiations on the Kosovo status issue, considering the fact that there is agreement among representatives of the EU, Russia and the US and the two sides that statements detrimental to the goal of negotiations should not be given during the negotiations.

He expressed the hope that a solution acceptable to all will be found, but added that the deadline for negotiations is December 11, when the troika of envoys will submit its report to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Solana and Kostunica also expressed satisfaction over conclusion of the process of negotiations between EU and Serbia on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA).

Solana stressed that he hopes that full cooperation will be realised with The Hague which is necessary for concluding the process of stabilisation and association with the EU, and added that soon, after visiting Belgrade, Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte will give her assessment of this cooperation.

Her previous reports were positive and I do not see why the next one should not be the same, said Solana.

Kostunica conveyed to Solana that Serbia is aware of its international obligations regarding the issue of the Hague tribunal and that a lot has been done on that question, and it is in Serbia’s own interest to cooperate.

He said, however, that certain Hague indictees who were said to be in Serbia, were not on Serbian territory at all and as an example he mentioned the case of Vlastimir Djordjevic, who was arrested in Montenegro.

Vojislav Kostunica and Jose Manuel Barroso

Author: Fonet

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica talked today in Brussels with President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn. He told the press after the meeting that Serbia is against the status quo in Kosovo-Metohija, as well as against any kind of division or trade with the province.

For all parties involved in the resolution of the Kosovo issue there is a dilemma whether to look for a solution within the framework of international principles and standards, the UN Charter, Resolution 1244 and the Final Helsinki Act, or outside international law and against it, Kostunica underlined.

Serbia is for the first solution and wants the support of the European Union both when it comes to international law and European values.

Kostunica underlined that Serbia is against "frozen conflicts" or the "status quo" in Kosovo-Metohija.

Serbia is against the status quo in Kosovo both from the aspect of law and the aspect of reality. From the legal aspect, because we proposed a new institutional agreement for Kosovo, and from the aspect of reality, because Serbia is not satisfied with the way Resolution 1244 of the United Nations Security Council is being implemented, Kostunica said.

He said that Resolution 1244 is not implemented when it comes to freedom of movement, safety of Serbs and other non-Albanians and possibilities for return.

Answering whether Serbia really is in favour of division of Kosovo, as Albanian daily "Koha ditore" claimed yesterday, Kostunica said that that is "simply a lie."

Serbia has never thought about division. Serbia is against division of Serbia and therefore it is against division of Kosovo, the Serbian Prime Minister underlined.

He also commented on the proposal of Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi that the integration of Serbia into the EU should be accelerated, so that the resolution of Kosovo problem could be solved more easily.

Italy is a friendly country that is very well familiar with the Kosovo problem. But Serbia does not take into account any form of trade, because Kosovo cannot be an object of trade. That is our principled position, Kostunica said.

He said that he is convinced that Serbia is on the right track when it comes to the resolution of the Kosovo problem.

He underlined that Serbia very seriously analyses threats of one-sided declaration of Kosovo's independence and voiced hope that this will be prevented and that is why Serbia's delegation came to Brussels.

Kostunica warned that one-sided recognition of Kosovo's independence would not only harm Serbia and the countries that would do that, but many other countries and regions as well.

Kosovo is not an isolated case. You cannot violate the UN Charter in one case, and then respect it in another, you cannot ignore the UN Security Council in one case, and not do it in another one. Such an approach brings into danger the system of the United Nations and the UN are precisely the ones that would be harmed the most, Kostunica pointed out.

The Prime Minister is accompanied by Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic.