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Serbia expects from troika not to encourage Kosovo independence claims

Belgrade/New York, 28 September 2007

Serbian President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica in a joint interview with RTS tonight expressed expectation that US officials as well as officials of other Contact Group members will not encourage Albanian negotiators in their independence claims.

Boris Tadic, left, and Vojislav Kostunica

Author: RTS

Summing up results of today’s talks of top officials of Belgrade and Pristina in New York, Kostunica highlighted that Serbia expects from the “troika” and the Contact Group to clearly come up with a position that will not in any way encourage independence of Kosovo-Metohija.

Tadic and Kostunica said that US representative in the “troika” Frank Wisner did not offer guarantees that the Washington administration would abstain from such actions, but said after the meeting with Belgrade officials that he supports a compromise solution for the status of Kosovo.

We will know that what he said is really inspiring hope once we miss to hear from US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice any statement in favour of Kosovo independence, the Prime Minister said.

He reiterated that the idea of confederation is unacceptable for Serbia as such proposal would mean that Serbia is renouncing part of its territory so that Kosovo gets state status.

Commenting on a statement of French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Bernard Kouchner that the issue of Kosovo is not just the issue for the US and Russia, but primarily the issue of Europe, Kostunica said that this is one of the ways to take out this issue from the UN and the UN Security Council and highlighted that this issue must remain within the UN, and that solution must be sought in the UN SC.

The Prime Minister said that there has been very little negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina so far and that direct talks will start as soon as the two delegations confront and discuss their arguments.

Those are not real negotiations, real negotiations are still expected, the Prime Minister said after the talks of the Serbian state delegation with the mediating “troika” and meeting with a delegation of Kosovo Albanians in New York.

He pointed out that in order to reach a compromise it is necessary that all participants promise they would long for a compromise and pointed out that the outcome of the next round of direct talks on Kosovo status on October 14 in Brussels does not depend on negotiating teams of Belgrade and Pristina, but on the “third side” that should tell the Albanians not to insist on their independence claims.

President Tadic expressed satisfaction with the launch of new talks since the mediating “troika” encouraged both sides to reach a compromise, unlike the Vienna negotiations mediated by Martti Ahtisaari when the very word compromise was negated.

Tadic told RTS that the Albanian side wanted to discuss the relations of two sovereign states, but the Serbian state delegations rejected that proposal.

We presented the proposal of substantial autonomy, discussing certain modalities but not bringing into question the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia, the President said.

He announced that Belgrade will try to make its proposal of Kosovo’s substantial autonomy in Serbia even more attractive for the Albanian side and stressed that the aim is to show to the Albanian community that we wish to integrate them into the political system of the country.

Tadic recalled that Belgrade and Pristina agreed to peaceful negotiations, which is the only way to reach a durable solution.

According to Tadic, both sides promised no violence will be used during the negotiations or later as that is the only way to reach a sustainable and long-lasting solution.

The Serbian President said that our delegation sent an appeal to the Pristina delegation to seriously consider Belgrade’s proposal on substantial autonomy as it does not imply return to the previous condition, but seeking for a solution acceptable to both sides.

We concluded that the EU membership is extremely important and that these negotiations are crucial for defining the future both of Serbs and Albanians in the EU, Tadic added.