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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Model for substantial autonomy for Kosovo based on principle of “minimum integration”

Belgrade, 24 September 2007

Serbian Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic said today that the model for substantial autonomy for Kosovo-Metohija which Serbia is offering is based on the principle of minimum integration.

Slobodan Samardzic at today's press conference

Samardzic told a press conference held on the occasion of 100 days of his ministry’s work that in planning this model, Belgrade’s starting point was the real situation, which is that Kosovo Albanians do not wish to develop relations with Serbia.

According to Samardzic, Belgrade is ready to give complete jurisdiction to Pristina in areas such as economy and taxation.

If they have 95% of the jurisdiction then the question arises what they will represent in Serbia. That is why Kosovo-Metohija would have no need to integrate into Serbian institutions, since Serbian parliament will not interfere with competencies given to Pristina, said Samardzic.

He said that it is expected that at the upcoming direct negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina in New York on September 28 there will be exchange of opinion regarding the further course of negotiations .

The subject of negotiations must be defined clearly, and we advocate that it should be the status of Kosovo-Metohija. The problem is that Kosovo Albanians do not see this as a subject of negotiations, said Samardzic and added that there will be a reaction if these negotiations do not turn out to be “real”.

He said that he does not know what will be the agenda proposed by the Contact Group for the upcoming meeting in New York, and stressed that the Contact Group should work as much as possible with the Albanian side.

Pointing out that the US is a member of the Contact Group which leans most towards the stand taken by Pristina Samardzic said that if Washington wants negotiations, then they will convince the Albanians to participate in them.

If they do not convince them to participate in negotiations, it will mean that the US is not interested in these negotiations. This will be visible very soon, by the middle of October, and then we will react in an adequate manner, said Samardzic.

He said that the state is preparing other forms of solutions as well and other scenarios for resolving the issue of the future status of Kosovo-Metohija, if that becomes necessary. He stressed that the state will keep the public informed on all steps taken.

Speaking on the position of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija according to the proposal by Belgrade, Samardzic said that their position will be developed according to the plan for decentralisation since they would have higher jurisdiction in Serb majority areas, and the possibility of having mutual coordination, as well as direct relations with Belgrade.

As citizens of Kosovo-Metohija they would also have a level of protection through the provincial government, parliament and courts, added Samardzic and reiterated that Serbia’s jurisdiction in Kosovo-Metohija would be in the areas of border protection, foreign affairs and protection of cultural heritage.