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Serbia's protest over reconfiguration of Kosovo’s international civilian presence
Belgrade/New York,
19 July 2008
Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic said that he conveyed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Serbia's harshest protest over the fact that the process of reconfiguration of the international civilian presence in Kosovo-Metohija has been initiated without Belgrade's consent.
Jeremic said late yesterday, at the UN headquarters in New York, that if the reconfiguration is necessary at all, then Belgrade must be a part of those negotiations.
He said that Serbia can unambiguously count on the support of Russia and China in this matter.
In an interview to Itar-Tas agency after last night’s meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Jeremic said that Ban Ki-moon agreed that Serbia should take part in the process of reconfiguration of the international civilian presence in Kosovo-Metohija.
I told the UN Secretary-General that the Serbian government expects that the process of reconfiguration will not be terminated without the consent of Belgrade and the UN Security Council, Jeremic said and underlined that the UN Security Council must approve any civilian presence in Kosovo for it to be legally valid.
He expressed satisfaction with the meeting with the UN Secretary-General, and voiced hope that the final result will be acceptable for Belgrade, which means that the status of the future international presence in Kosovo will be neutral, that it will not violate Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and that it will not entail the implementation of Martti Ahtisaari’s plan, the minister reiterated.
He recalled that Serbia rejected that plan and that it was also not approved by the UN Security Council and that is why Ahtisaari’s plan simply does not exist for Serbia.
Jeremic also expressed hope that Serbia’s address to the UN General Assembly in September, which will have to give its opinion on Serbia’s request to the International Court of Justice to examine the legality of Kosovo’s unilaterally proclaimed independence , will get support from most countries.
I can hardly imagine possible arguments against any country’s intention to put such a question before the International Court of Justice, Jeremic said and added that Belgrade counts on Moscow’s support on this issue as well.
The Serbian foreign minister said that he will work on getting support from most delegates in the UN General Assembly in the upcoming period.
He said that Serbia can unambiguously count on the support of Russia and China in this matter.
In an interview to Itar-Tas agency after last night’s meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Jeremic said that Ban Ki-moon agreed that Serbia should take part in the process of reconfiguration of the international civilian presence in Kosovo-Metohija.
I told the UN Secretary-General that the Serbian government expects that the process of reconfiguration will not be terminated without the consent of Belgrade and the UN Security Council, Jeremic said and underlined that the UN Security Council must approve any civilian presence in Kosovo for it to be legally valid.
He expressed satisfaction with the meeting with the UN Secretary-General, and voiced hope that the final result will be acceptable for Belgrade, which means that the status of the future international presence in Kosovo will be neutral, that it will not violate Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and that it will not entail the implementation of Martti Ahtisaari’s plan, the minister reiterated.
He recalled that Serbia rejected that plan and that it was also not approved by the UN Security Council and that is why Ahtisaari’s plan simply does not exist for Serbia.
Jeremic also expressed hope that Serbia’s address to the UN General Assembly in September, which will have to give its opinion on Serbia’s request to the International Court of Justice to examine the legality of Kosovo’s unilaterally proclaimed independence , will get support from most countries.
I can hardly imagine possible arguments against any country’s intention to put such a question before the International Court of Justice, Jeremic said and added that Belgrade counts on Moscow’s support on this issue as well.
The Serbian foreign minister said that he will work on getting support from most delegates in the UN General Assembly in the upcoming period.
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