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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Kosovo issue to be resolved by respecting Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty

Belgrade, 24 October 2007

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said late yesterday that Belgrade's position prevailed at the negotiations in Vienna because the Contact Group's troika agreed that talks on the future status of Kosovo should be conducted within the framework of the UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

Jeremic said in a statement to Radio Television Serbia that the troika underlined during the negotiations that no unilateral actions should be made and stressed that Belgrade's amendments to the troika's document in 14 items, if all sides agree to them, do not live room for any unilateral moves.

The document prepared by the troika is not any kind of proposed solution, but it gives items for joint discussion, the Foreign Minister said and explained that that is why Belgrade decided to propose something that secures that those items in no way encourage possible proclamation of independence of Kosovo after December 10.

According to Jeremic, the most difficult part of the direct talks between Belgrade and Pristina in Vienna has been the one so far because it was discussed whether the focus will be on the future status of Kosovo or relations between Belgrade and Pristina, without defining in more detail whether these are relations between independent states or some kind of entities.

The Serbian Foreign Minister said that the negotiations on the future status of the Serbian southern province are in the crucial phase now and that the next round, scheduled for November 5 in Vienna, will be decisive.

Jeremic said that yesterday, in the capacity of the chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, he attended the 25th quadripartite meeting of the Council of Europe and the EU in Strasbourg, and stated that the Kosovo issue must be resolved by respecting Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

At this gathering Serbia showed that it has international capacity to preside over the oldest European organisation, in line with European standards and values, the Serbian Foreign Minister concluded.