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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

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Serbia will adhere to ICJ’s opinion

Belgrade/ New York, 16 August 2008

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic stated in New York that Serbia will adhere to the opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legality of Kosovo-Metohija’s declaration of independence.

At a press conference held at the UN headquarters, Jeremic stressed that Serbia asked for ICJ’s opinion because it believes that Kosovo’s declaration of independence violated international law, the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and the UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

Since we are the ones asking for the court’s opinion, and we believe in international institutions, including the ICJ, we will respect its decision, said Jeremic and added that it would be immoral of Serbia to disregard the ICJ’s opinion.

According to him, Serbia has great expectations from the opinion it seeks, and it would be very inappropriate at the moment to discuss anything which may increase prejudice on the issue.

He explained that the proposed resolution which he submitted to the UN, and which asks the UN General Assembly to demand the ICJ’s opinion, does not contain any political qualifications or Serbia’s stances regarding the province’s declared independence, adding that Serbia does not want UN member countries to vote for its proposal but to forward the issue to the ICJ.

He said that tomorrow the General Committee will decide whether to include Serbia’s proposed resolution in the agenda of the UN General Assembly in September and voiced hope that the majority of countries at that session will support Serbia.

We hope that the General Assembly will vote affirmatively. We will have ICJ’s opinion, which is not obligatory, but Serbia will adhere to it, he said.

As for the similarity of the Kosovo issue and the situation in Georgia, Jeremic said that Serbia’s peaceful and diplomatic approach to the Kosovo issue can be a model for resolving crises, adding that Serbia does not want to go back to the times of war in the 1990s.

He reiterated that the reconfiguration of the UNMIK in the province must be such that Serbia’s sovereignty in the province is not questioned, and it also must be in line with Resolution 1244. He added that the process cannot end without the Security Council’s approval.

The Minister said that the Serbian government will soon be able to state that it has fulfilled all obligations towards the Hague Tribunal and voiced hope that Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic will soon be taken in.

Speaking about student Miladin Kovacevic, who is wanted by the US authorities, Jeremic said that the government has advised Kovacevic to face justice.

According to him, so far Kovacevic is refusing to return to the US, and the Serbian government cannot do anything about it because its Constitution forbids the extradition of Serbia citizens to other states.