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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia resolved to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law

Belgrade/New York, 19 December 2007

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said late today in New York that negotiations on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija must be continued because conflicts and disputes must be resolved through negotiations precisely, with respect for international law.

Vojislav Kostunica

Author: AP

In a direct broadcast to the programme of Radio Television of Serbia after the UN Security Council (SC) session, Kostunica said that we are now before a dramatic and historically very important dilemma - whether international law exists to be respected or violated.

Describing the discussion during the session as stimulating and encouraging for Serbia, Kostunica said that he conveyed to the SC that Serbia is firmly resolved to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law. This way, Serbia is not only defending its own interests, but peace and stability in the world as well, together with the concept of negotiations as a means for solving conflicts and reaching compromise.

Kostunica warned the US and EU that Resolution 1244 is still in force and will continue to be so until it is substituted by a new resolution and that everything done outside its framework is illegal.

Resolutions cannot be changed at one's will, and unilateral proclamation of Kosovo's independence and free interpretation of Resolution 1244 will cause serious crisis in the UN, the Serbian Prime Minister underlined, rejecting at the same time accusations that Serbia will use force to defend its interests.

He stressed that Serbia's strongest weapon is insistence on international law and that other actions will depend on the development of the situation. He voiced hope that in the resolution of Kosovo status, common sense will prevail.

Kostunica said that Russian Ambassador in the UN Vitaly Churkin expressed at the session a clear stance in favour of respect for international law and continuation of negotiations on the future status of the southern Serbian province.

Kostunica underlined that Churkin's speech was impressive and grounded on respect for international law and facts from the Serbian-Albanian conflict. As no one before, the Russian diplomat spoke about the exodus of Serbs from Kosovo-Metohija in 1974.

He said that states are divided into those that advocate respect for international law and continuation of negotiations, among which are Russia, China and the South African Republic, and those that are fiercely against respect for international law and continuation of negotiations on the very difficult subject of the future status of Kosovo, such as the US and Great Britain.

The Serbian Prime Minister warned that any unilateral proclamation or so-called coordinated proclamation of Kosovo's independence will be declared null and void and that for Serbia, Kosovo will remain part of its territory.

He also reiterated that Serbia is against the deployment of an EU mission in Kosovo because that would be violation of Resolution 1244.

I have to say that any unilateral proclamation of independence would bring the UN into big crisis. Peace and stability have so far rested on the UN Charter, but if we bring it into question, then we will enter a new era, the Serbian Prime Minister said and pointed to Serbia's dedication to negotiations, democracy, the rule of law and full respect for basic international laws.

Serbian Minister of Foreign Vuk Jeremic said that our country will use all legal, diplomatic and financial means in case of unilateral proclamation of Kosovo's independence, but it will not cause destabilisation of the region.

Serbia is a democratic country, strongly committed to implementation of laws. The Balkans need peace and integration into the EU, Jeremic said and added that at the SC session, China, Indonesia and African countries showed understanding for the Kosovo issue and called for continuation of dialogue.