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Belgrade ready to resume talks with Pristina

Belgrade/Prague, 20 November 2008

Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic warned that Kosovo Albanians are exerting strong pressure and trying to blackmail the world into recognising Kosovo independence and deploying the EULEX mission.

File photo of Vuk Jeremic

Author: Tanjug

In an interview for today’s edition of the Prague daily Pravo Jeremic recalled that Serbia and the UN reached agreement on deploying the civilian mission in the province which all UN members endorsed, although Pristina is opposed to it.

Uncertain about Pristina’s reaction, the Security Council withdrew this item from the agenda, said Jeremic, adding that powerful people in the world are exerting pressure to have Kosovo’s independence recognised because they lack the effort and the will to work out a compromise.

According to him, it is significant that Serbia managed to transfer the Kosovo independence issue from the political to the legal arena.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) cannot approve the unilateral proclamation of independence of a province from an internationally recognised state. That is a very dangerous precedent which can destabilise not only the Western Balkans but also other regions, warned Jeremic, adding that all the arguments are on Serbia’s side and he believes in Serbia’s success at the ICJ in The Hague.

Belgrade believes that a favourable ICJ decision regarding the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo will prevent further recognition of Kosovo-Metohija.

If the ICJ’s decision is in Serbia’s favour, the government will offer to negotiate with Kosovo Albanians and ask the international community to help an agreement to be reached through dialogue.

Jeremic also stressed that this is the first time that a Balkan country has attempted to resolve problems by negotiation with the UN and the ICJ.

In the meantime, the Minister said that Serbia is to work on improving its relations with other Western Balkan countries, adding that Serbia will closely cooperate with the Czech Republic in this respect.