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No final decision on Kosovo-Metohija status by end-year
Kragujevac,
13 October 2007
Serbian Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic said last night in Kragujevac that no final decision on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija will be made by the year’s end.
Slobodan Samardzic
Speaking at a lecture themed “Serbia’s Strategy for Kosovo-Metohija” held at the Kragujevac University and organised by the Serbian-American Centre from Belgrade, Samardzic said that according to all current indicators, the final decision on the province’s status will not be reached in December and the possibility that ethnic Albanians from Kosovo will declare independence is also debatable.
According to Samardzic, if Kosovo Albanians do declare independence, Serbia will continue with its active functioning in the province.
Serb municipalities and towns, Serbs as a population, the Serbian cultural heritage and Orthodox churches will all remain under Serbia’s administration, said Samardzic.
He added that the issue of Kosovo-Metohija is very important for Serbia because of stability, peaceful development and prosperity.
It is my firm belief that Serbia cannot join the EU if it retains the province or for that matter continue with the development, said Samardzic and emphasised that Serbia will do all it can to preserve its territorial integrity and sovereignty because it relies on the international legal argument regarding the preservation of its southern province.
Samardzic said that Serbia insists on retaining the province because of the historical importance of Kosovo-Metohija as the territory where the statehood, spirituality, culture and identity of the Serbian people first emerged, and also because of its demographic, moral, ethnical and economical importance because since 1912 several billion dollars have been invested in the development of that part of Serbia.
According to Samardzic, if Kosovo Albanians do declare independence, Serbia will continue with its active functioning in the province.
Serb municipalities and towns, Serbs as a population, the Serbian cultural heritage and Orthodox churches will all remain under Serbia’s administration, said Samardzic.
He added that the issue of Kosovo-Metohija is very important for Serbia because of stability, peaceful development and prosperity.
It is my firm belief that Serbia cannot join the EU if it retains the province or for that matter continue with the development, said Samardzic and emphasised that Serbia will do all it can to preserve its territorial integrity and sovereignty because it relies on the international legal argument regarding the preservation of its southern province.
Samardzic said that Serbia insists on retaining the province because of the historical importance of Kosovo-Metohija as the territory where the statehood, spirituality, culture and identity of the Serbian people first emerged, and also because of its demographic, moral, ethnical and economical importance because since 1912 several billion dollars have been invested in the development of that part of Serbia.
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