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

Legality of Kosovo’s unilateral independence vital for Serbia

Belgrade, 15 April 2009

Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic stated today that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will announce on April 17 which countries, apart from Serbia, submitted their opinions regarding the legality of the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo-Metohija.

Jeremic told RTS that it is important that more countries take part in this process as this reduces the possibility of countries advocating Kosovo’s independence to pressure the court.

This is the first time in history that the ICJ reflects on the legality of an act on secession. What the court decides will establish a precedent for any future attempt at secession in the world. Everyone will quote this decision. Therefore, there is great interest among lawyers throughout the world in this case. The case before the ICJ is very important for Serbia as it is in the centre of our political activities relating to the preservation of Serbia’s constitutional order and also important for peace and stability in the world as well as for international relations in the 21st century, said Jeremic.

According to Jeremic, proving that Kosovo’s declaration of independence is against international law is essential. Serbia’s request before the ICJ takes up 350 pages, and with additional documents comes to over 1,000 pages. The legal documentation is supplemented with facts concerning the position of Kosovo-Metohija, from the days of Turkish rule to date, said Jeremic.

He added that the Serbian document has been backed by Serbian and international experts, who worked on a voluntary basis, said Jeremic. Countries supporting Serbia’s position are China, Russia, Slovakia, Romania, Cyprus, Spain, Venezuela, Bolivia, Argentina, Georgia and Azerbaijan, Jeremic said.

Pristina will get support from the United States, UK, Germany, France, Switzerland and Austria, and as Kosovo is not an UN member, Pristina’s document will be treated only as a written contribution to the court.