Keepin touch

Whether you have a question, comment, suggestion or any problem in the purview of the government, send us your message and we will try to respond as soon as possible. If your problem is not in our purview, we will forward your message to the relevant institution.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia will not accept EULEX without UN Security Council approval

Belgrade, 23 August 2008

Serbian Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Goran Bogdanovic stated today that Serbia will never recognise Kosovo’s independence nor the presence of EULEX without prior UN Security Council approval.

File photo of Goran Bogdanovic

Author: Tanjug

Bogdanovic said in an interview with Novi Sad daily Dnevnik that Serbia insists that the presence of the EU mission is harmonised internationally and that Martti Ahtisaari’s absolutely unacceptable plan is not to be implemented as it was also rejected by the UN Security Council.

The government's official website brings excerpts from the interview.

What will be Serbia's concrete strategy about EULEX mission?

We are completely aware of the situation, but for us UNMIK is the only legitimate mission in Kosovo, as we cannot say yes to the violation of international law and Resolution 1244. Therefore, we will only cooperate with UNMIK, as only they are competent for solving the problems of Serbs and other non-Albanians in the province.

On the initiative that EULEX replaces UNMIK:

Of course we are against such an initiative and we will continue through our diplomacy to do everything so that such ideas are rejected, especially in the Security Council. We must not allow the Ahtisaari plan to be implemented on our territory.

Do you expect an agreement to be reached in the Security Council on the launch of new negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade any time soon?

We are aware how difficult the diplomatic battle is to get the General Assembly to ask the International Court of Justice for its opinion on Kosovo’s independence. But we know we are right, international legal order is on our side, and we hope we will manage to get the necessary support in the General Assembly session. That would send a clear message to those countries that recognised Kosovo that international law cannot be ignored.

Concrete actions by the government to protect Serbs in Kosovo in an economic and security-sense?

The political, security and economic situations in the whole of the province are very poor. The situation in the north is somewhat better because Serbs and non-Albanians are not physically imperilled there while in other parts of Kosovo, there is basic insecurity and realistic fear. The Serbian government is resolved to supporting the economic recovery of local Serbs in the province and to bettering their position. We want to create conditions for sustainable survival and to provide conditions for those who fled their houses in 1999 and in 2004 to return. The priority is production, the launch of small plants that could secure new jobs so that people can live off of their work. Local authorities should also take their part of responsibility.

Are you ready to talk to Kosovo officials on some of the problems of the Serbian community?

I am ready to talk to anyone if Serbian interests are at stake. Now that parliament and the government of Kosovo proclaimed independence, the situation is quite different. Honestly, it would be a big problem to sit at the same table with someone from those institutions. The situation in Pristina is so confusing now that I am not sure if I could get any guarantee that the problems of Serbs would be solved. We speak to UNMIK, that’s how it was and that’s how it will be.