Q:
A:
Return of Serbs to Kosovo-Metohija completely halted
Belgrade,
18 February 2009
State Secretary at the Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija Oliver Ivanovic said that one year after Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence, the return of Serbs to the province has been completely halted.
Oliver Ivanovic
Ivanovic told news agency Beta that this best shows that the international community made a mistake when it decided to solve the province’s status before the specifics.
According to Ivanovic, the essential problems in Kosovo are now even deeper, Serbs and Albanians are more distant and there is less communication and understanding between them.
Albanians think that negotiation ended on February 17, 2008. For us, they are not finished; this may happen once we sit at the negotiating table, without pressure and time frameworks, and once we find a mutually acceptable solution for both partners, the Serbian government and Kosovo Albanians, stressed Ivanovic.
The State Secretary noted that meanwhile Serbia should put all its energy into carrying out its goal of entering the EU as soon as possible.
EU membership will improve our position, and as of that moment Serbia, being a full EU member, will ask the question of our country’s integrity like Cyprus, Spain and other countries facing similar problems did, Ivanovic said.
He recalled that Kosovo Serbs live in extremely difficult conditions, but noted that they need to start some initiatives as well.
They should ask for the subsidies and stimuli that the Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija grants. RSD 200 million will be distributed in the next two months to companies facing problems in order to stimulate production in our southern province, Ivanovic announced.
According to Ivanovic, the essential problems in Kosovo are now even deeper, Serbs and Albanians are more distant and there is less communication and understanding between them.
Albanians think that negotiation ended on February 17, 2008. For us, they are not finished; this may happen once we sit at the negotiating table, without pressure and time frameworks, and once we find a mutually acceptable solution for both partners, the Serbian government and Kosovo Albanians, stressed Ivanovic.
The State Secretary noted that meanwhile Serbia should put all its energy into carrying out its goal of entering the EU as soon as possible.
EU membership will improve our position, and as of that moment Serbia, being a full EU member, will ask the question of our country’s integrity like Cyprus, Spain and other countries facing similar problems did, Ivanovic said.
He recalled that Kosovo Serbs live in extremely difficult conditions, but noted that they need to start some initiatives as well.
They should ask for the subsidies and stimuli that the Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija grants. RSD 200 million will be distributed in the next two months to companies facing problems in order to stimulate production in our southern province, Ivanovic announced.
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