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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

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Government adamant not to recognise Kosovo

Belgrade, 22 April 2009

Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic stated that with the process before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Serbia wants to achieve a solution for the province’s future status acceptable to all, stressing that the Serbian government will never recognise Kosovo, not at any cost.

File photo of Vuk Jeremic

Author: Tanjug

In an interview for today’s edition of the Blic daily, Jeremic reiterated that Serbia believes Pristina breached international law by declaring independence, adding that the ICJ is the best place to prove that.

He recalled that Serbia has on its side some of the most influential countries, stressing that once the court declares its opinion, there will be no alternative but to return to the negotiating process.

The Serbian government’s official website gives excerpts of this interview.

Is Serbia’s ultimate goal to have Pristina back at the negotiating desk:

It is. We are now in a situation in which the authorities in Pristina refuse to lead any dialogue on their status. We are asked to accept the unilateral declaration of independence, but that is utterly unacceptable for the Serbian government and I do not believe that anyone in Belgrade will ever have a different stance. This is why we want to create circumstances under which the only sensible solution will be the status dialogue.

Is there a strategy in case the verdict is not what Serbia expects:

This is the first time that the ICJ is assessing the legality of an act of secession. The way the court decides this case will set a precedent for future cases. I cannot imagine a 21st century in which secession is left to the free will of ethnic communities which believe that their capital city is disrespectful of their human rights. That would be a very unstable world. Therefore I believe that the court’s decision will be in favour of the preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a sovereign state. However, regardless of what the ICJ decides, we must respect the obligations of the Serbian Constitution. We would not have entered this complex and globalised process if we had not concluded that our greatest chance of success lies in international law.

In case the ICJ’s decision is in Pristina’s favour, will the government in Belgrade be under an obligation to recognize Kosovo:

The government in Belgrade will not recognise Kosovo, not at any cost, as long as the democratic order is based on the Serbian Constitution.

Serbia’s EU integration:

We should have done more up until now, but after the meeting with EU officials in Brussels on Monday I am quite certain that some things can moved on from the present standstill, although the EU is faced with serious challenges. This is a difficult time for the entire world and the EU is no exception. Here I primarily have in mind the impact of the economic crisis and the EU’s unresolved institutional issues.

Could that step be the setting up of a visa free regime for Serbian citizens:

It is very likely that the Commission will send an official proposal to the Council to abolish visas even before the Czech presidency ends, in which case it could come into force before the year’s end.