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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Unity in Serbian government only guarantee for stability of the state

Belgrade, 5 March 2008

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said in an interview to today's edition of Vecernje Novosti daily that unity in the Serbian government is the only guarantee of stability of the state at this grave moment, after the unilateral and illegal proclamation of independence by Kosovo-Metohija.

Djelic said that unity in the government is possible only if coalition partners continue to act unanimously on crucial state priorities – Kosovo and the European Union.

The Serbian government's official website gives excerpts of this interview:

Stability of the government:

The government is stable as long as it keeps the balance among the five crucial goals it set itself at the beginning of the mandate. If any of its five priorities are jeopardised, the government's survival will be brought into question.

Repayment of Kosovo's debt:

- I scheduled a meeting for March 11, which will be attended by ministers Slobodan Samardzic, Mladjan Dinkic and Mirko Cvetkovic, National Bank Governor Radovan Jelasic and economic experts from the state negotiating team, at which we are supposed to find a common position. It is possible to find a balance, which on one hand will reduce fiscal pressure on our citizens, and on the other hand will in no way recognise independence of Kosovo-Metohija.

What are the suggestions? - The issue of Kosovo's debt can be resolved in two ways. The first is to write off that debt, so that it does not have to be repaid. In that way, the question of whom the debt belongs to will not be an issue anymore. The other way is to reduce Serbia's entire debt, with the one for Kosovo included. We are already discussing these two options with the creditors. None of them brings into question whether we give up Kosovo's debt and property, and at the same time, give us more money so that we can work in favour of all our citizens, including Serbs in Kosovo.

Possibility of overvoting at government's session on March 6 because of the positions concerning Kosovo's debt:

- Overvoting must be avoided whenever possible. I am always in favour of finding a common stance in the government. I am convinced that we will find a solution to Kosovo that will be in the general interest.

Did the state react appropriately to Kosovo's declaration of independence?

- The violence that took place and the tragic loss of a human life - on this occasion I want to express my condolences to the family of the young man who died - is something that did not contribute to our fight for Kosovo, on the contrary. Today, dozens of countries support Serbia’s fight and its people. The only way to keep Kosovo is to change the policy of those who are not on our side.

How can we do that?

- We must by no means cut diplomatic ties with the countries that recognised independence. We must continue with European integration, our economic development, and the creation of new jobs. That is the way to strengthen the economy, win over allies and at the same time be present at all international forums which discuss Serbia. Our country withdrew ambassadors from those countries in order to hold consultations and that is something that every democratic and European country would do. Cutting diplomatic ties or bringing them to a lower level would certainly not contribute to our fight for Kosovo. Most of all we must work with those who have a differing opinions than ours.

Is it possible to reconcile positions "both Kosovo and Europe" and "to Europe only with Kosovo"?

In politics it is very important to be realistic. None of those who want to isolate us has explained how that would help in the fight for Kosovo. That is a deception. Someone tries to keep Serbia in a specific kind of emergency situation in order to strengthen their political positions at the expense of national and state interests. I do not think that we disregarded Kosovo because of Serbia. Europe represents a better life and the possibility to fight more resolutely for all our national interests. We will never give up on Kosovo.

When will European integration come to the government's agenda again?

- It was never taken off the agenda. It is discussed at every government session. Our country will not give up on its three goals for 2008: obtaining EU candidate status, abolishment of visas and access to structural funds. Will you sign the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU?

As soon as the European Commission offers it to us, I am authorised to do so.

When might that happen?

Hague prosecutor Serge Brammertz will arrive in Belgrade before the end of March. I hope that after his visit, the Netherlands will change its stance on Serbia's cooperation with the Hague Tribunal and enable us to sign the SAA with the EU. We will not allow Serbia to become isolated. At the presidential election citizens gave us the mandate to go to Europe, and last week's opinion poll shows that 71% of citizens are in favour of EU entry.

Serbia is already implementing the SAA:

The government is absolutely unanimous that the harmonisation of our economic and administrative systems with those of the EU is in our citizens' best interest. We will not wait for the SAA to be signed, but will keep passing all the laws that will enable us to get more investments, so that once we sign the SAA, we will see that we haven’t lost a single day.

Do you believe that some countries, including the US, might revoke their decisions to recognise independence?

Serbia's capacity through a wise and non-violent policy in the past two years has resulted in a UN Security Council session to be held in March, at which the continuation of talks on Kosovo will be proposed. Our policy will be to prevent this entity from entering international forums, which won't be easy. In September, at the UN general assembly, we will try to have as few countries as possible support Kosovo's entry into the UN. Serbia's aim is to resume the talks in order to reach a compromise solution, because Serbia will never recognise the independence of Kosovo.

How will you react when you meet with officials from countries that recognised independence?

The action plan envisages that government members do not have any contacts with ministers from those countries, until it is agreed otherwise.

Are you planning to go to Brussels any time soon?

There are plans, but it is more important to see how the EULEX mission will treat the citizens who remained loyal to Serbia. We recognise UNMIK's presence in Kosovo, but not EULEX’s, however, the relation of both towards Serbian citizens will be crucial to Serbia's future relations with the EU.

How did you take this personally?

Just like every other citizen, I too feel great injustice and dissatisfaction, but as a responsible man performing a responsible function, I have to tell the truth – any violence on our part or any form of self-isolation would not only jeopardise the standard of life and increase unemployment, but also considerably undermine our diplomatic, economic and safety capabilities to fight for our Kosovo. I am sorry that some are trying to deceive the people by telling them that the only way to fight for Kosovo is to sever all contacts with countries that recognised independence. This is a time when we must be wise.

Is Serbia’s European future in danger?

It isn’t. No one is surprised that our relations with the EU are somewhat strained at a time when the EU is sending its mission to Kosovo, which Serbia does not recognise, or when Solana is the first foreign official to visit Pristina after February 17. But we must heed the advice of a friend, such as Romania, who advocates that Kosovo remains within Serbia and counsels us to remain on the path to Europe. Russia’s new president, Medvedev, as well as Gazprom director Miller, have made it known that they see the South Stream as a project passing only through EU members, in order to avoid risks such as Ukraine. Therefore it is in Russia’s interest that Serbia enters the EU.

You objected to Solana’s immediate visit to Pristina:

Naturally. It has consequences on our relations.

About the possibility that Serbia loses the right to organise the Eurosong for safety reasons:

At the proposal of Radio Television Serbia and on behalf of the government, I sent a letter to Eurosong organisers and told them that this very important event must take place in Belgrade. I pointed out that the Serbian government guarantees it will take all measures to ensure the safety of participants and guests of the Eurosong, demanded by the organisers.

What kind of an epilogue do you anticipate?

The Eurosong mission will arrive in mid-March to assess Serbia’s readiness. I am convinced that once they come to Belgrade, they will see that everything is right on track for the great event. Serbia has on many occasions shown that it is capable of organising top class international events, and the Eurosong will be no exception.