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Kosovo security forces will only worsen situation in Kosovo-Metohija
Belgrade/Ljubljana,
22 January 2009
In an interview with the Slovenian news agency STA, Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic said that Kosovo security forces will make the situation in Kosovo-Metohija even more difficult.
Jeremic, who visited Slovenia yesterday, said that Serbia strongly opposes the formation of these forces, adding that they are not in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1244.
The Minister stressed that Belgrade will try to disband these forces through legal means and reiterated that the Kosovo issue and Serbia’s EU integration are two completely separate issues.
He pointed out that Serbia’s strategic goal is its EU accession and the unfreezing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU is of key importance in this respect.
Jeremic said that the EU has frozen the agreement because of the assessment that Serbia has not fulfilled the condition of full cooperation with the Hague tribunal, in other words because Hague indictees Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic are still at large, adding that Serbia is cooperating fully with the Hague tribunal and is making efforts in cooperation with the EU to find the remaining indictees.
Speaking about the possibility of unblocking the agreement without arresting the remaining indictees, the Minister said that Serbia is making efforts to give the EU a better perspective on the measures Serbia is taking to arrest Mladic and Hadzic.
When Europe becomes better acquainted with our efforts there will be no more doubts regarding this issue because we really are doing everything in our power. I am convinced that if we do not take strategic steps towards membership in 2009 then the entire West Balkans will be in a far more unenviable situation than today, concluded Jeremic.
The Minister stressed that Belgrade will try to disband these forces through legal means and reiterated that the Kosovo issue and Serbia’s EU integration are two completely separate issues.
He pointed out that Serbia’s strategic goal is its EU accession and the unfreezing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU is of key importance in this respect.
Jeremic said that the EU has frozen the agreement because of the assessment that Serbia has not fulfilled the condition of full cooperation with the Hague tribunal, in other words because Hague indictees Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic are still at large, adding that Serbia is cooperating fully with the Hague tribunal and is making efforts in cooperation with the EU to find the remaining indictees.
Speaking about the possibility of unblocking the agreement without arresting the remaining indictees, the Minister said that Serbia is making efforts to give the EU a better perspective on the measures Serbia is taking to arrest Mladic and Hadzic.
When Europe becomes better acquainted with our efforts there will be no more doubts regarding this issue because we really are doing everything in our power. I am convinced that if we do not take strategic steps towards membership in 2009 then the entire West Balkans will be in a far more unenviable situation than today, concluded Jeremic.
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