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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Kosovo to be returned to Serbia’s constitutional order by peaceful means

Belgrade, 29 February 2008

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica stated today that in order to regain Kosovo-Metohija within its constitutional order, Serbia will keep fighting in a peaceful way, and added that any resort to violent means will affect Belgrade’s endeavours and help its enemies who are trying to take Kosovo away.

While distributing badges reading "Kosovo is Serbia" in downtown Belgrade, Kostunica told the press that Serbia will continue fighting in a peaceful and non-violent manner, because those who tried to sever Kosovo from Serbia on February 17 used violence.

We will respond to their violence peacefully, said Kostunica and stressed that this is the message which in the coming years will help annul the injustice inflicted on Serbia.

The message that "Kosovo is Serbia" is an undeniable truth. It is the truth that has lasted for centuries, and such truths cannot be refuted. At the same time, it has been the guiding idea of our state policy for years and will remain so, because we will have to arm ourselves with patience in order to bring Kosovo back into our constitutional order, said the Prime Minister.

He also pointed out that during the riots following the meeting "Kosovo is Serbia” the police reacted promptly and properly, and dismissed claims that someone in authority had ordered the police not to react on time.

Kostunica specified that State Secretary of Interior Mirjana Orasanin is in charge of the police, as she is standing in for Minister of Interior Dragan Jocic.

According to him, all members of the National Security Council condemned the riots and concluded that violence is extremely harmful to Serbia’s state interests and only gives the upper hand to Serbia’s enemies, including those who are trying to take Kosovo away.

Under the circumstances, bearing in mind the unprecedented attempt to seize Kosovo, as well as the huge number of people that gathered in Belgrade, the police did all they could, said the Prime Minister and praised the work of the police.

That conclusion reached by the council was approved unanimously and it is the answer to all kinds of untruths and rumours, said Kostunica, and added that if the police are being praised it means that they reacted on time and in the right manner.

He also said that the only mission Serbia recognises in Kosovo-Metohija is the UNMIK, whereas the EULEX is illegal.

Legality in Kosovo-Metohija belongs only to whatever is initiated by Resolution 1244 such as the UNMIK civilian mission, explained the Serbian Prime Minister. He added that it is the only mission which has legal grounds, while everything else is illegal in Serbia’s eyes and it will oppose it.

Speaking about the deployment of EULEX to Kosovo, Kostunica stressed that Serbia will advocate that only the UNMIK may function in the province, since the mission was formed according to Resolution 1244, and it should be strengthened and expanded.

For Serbia, the EU mission is illegal, reiterated the Serbian Prime Minister.

Answering questions regarding details of the Serbian government’s action plan for Kosovo-Metohija, Kostunica said that the contents of the action plan will be presented to the Serbian parliament through parliamentary committees and other means in a suitable way.

He commented on the initiative by Serbian Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic that Serbia should not pay Kosovo’s debt, by saying that Kosovo-Metohija is an integral part of Serbia and this dictates the stance regarding Kosovo’s debt, and that this stance is formulated in the policy of the negotiating team for Kosovo.

According to the Serbian Constitution and state policy, Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia. This is the policy formulated by the state negotiating team, and the policy of all Serbian institutions, the negotiating team, the parliament, the government and the Serbian President, and is obviously rooted in the Constitution and it is evident that it is completely different and at odds with the stance taken by Minister Dinkic, said Kostunica.

The Serbian Prime Minister said that more than a million badges carrying the Serbian flag and coat-of-arms as well as the message “Kosovo is Serbia” will be distributed in Serbia and abroad.

Badges were distributed by Kostunica accompanied by ministers Velimir Ilic and Zoran Loncar.